US President Barack Obama vowed Sunday to move forward with a controversial plan to base a missile defense shield in central Europe which has upset Moscow, saying the threat posed by Iran remained real. “Let me be clear: Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile activity poses a real threat, not just to the United States, but to Iran's neighbors and our allies,” Obama said. “The Czech Republic and Poland have been courageous in agreeing to host a defense against these missiles. As long as the threat from Iran persists, we intend to go forward with a missile defense system that is cost-effective and proven.” The shield project was officially devised by former president George W. Bush to defend against long-range ballistic missiles possibly fired by “rogue states” such as Iran, but Moscow views it as a threat to Russian security. In a warmly received speech to 30,000 people at picturesque Prague Castle, Obama also pledged to lead an effort to rid the world of nuclear weapons and called for North Korea to be punished for its rocket launch. He called for a global summit on nuclear security and said he hoped to negotiate a new treaty to end the production of fissile materials for nuclear weapons. He said his administration would work toward achieving a global ban on nuclear testing by bringing the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) into force. Warning that the prospect of a terrorist with a nuclear device was the “most immediate and extreme threat to global security” Obama announced an initiative to cut stockpiles, curtail testing and secure loose nuclear material. The new effort would seek to secure sensitive nuclear material within four years and break down the black market in the trade in illicit weapons, he said. He also said he would negotiate a new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) with Russia by the end of this year. START expires at the end of the year Doing nothing to stop the spread of nuclear weapons would be to cede to a “deadly adversary” of fatalism, Obama warned, speaking ahead of a meeting with EU leaders in the Czech capital, Prague, hours after North Korea launched a rocket despite international warnings. “North Korea broke the rules once more by testing a rocket that could be used for a long range missile,” Obama said. “This provocation underscores the need for action – not just this afternoon at the UN Security Council, but in our determination to prevent the spread of these weapons.” North Korea declared the missile launch a success. But the US military said “no object entered orbit,” with the first stage of the rocket falling into the waters between Korea and Japan, and the two other stages and its payload landing in the Pacific Ocean. Washington, Seoul and Tokyo had said before the launch that in reality it would be a test of the Taepodong-2 missile, which is designed to fly an estimated 6,700 km (4,200 miles). The statement from US and European leaders said North Korea's pursuit of ballistic missile capability is aimed at threatening countries “near and far with weapons of mass destruction” and that such behavior must stop. Later, the UN Security began a closed-door meeting with the US seeking a strong response to Pyongyang's defiance of UN resolutions. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the launch was not conducive to peace and stability and called on North Korea to return to six-country talks on ending its nuclear programs. UN Security Council diplomats said on condition of anonymity that no country is considering imposing new sanctions on North Korea but the starting point could be discussing a resolution for the stricter enforcement of earlier sanctions. Both Russia and China have made clear they would block new sanctions by the Security Council, where they have veto power.
