North Korea reports final stage of uranium enrichment

PYONGYANG, September 4 (Itar-Tass) -- North Korea said on Friday it
has entered the final phase of uranium enrichment and is building more
nuclear weapons with spent fuel rods extracted from its
plutonium-producing reactor.
It also warned it will further strengthen its nuclear deterrent if the
United Nations continues with sanctions against Pyongyang.
"We've successfully done the experiment for enrichment of uranium and
it has entered the final stage. We are also finalizing the reprocessing of
the spent fuel rods and the plutonium extracted (from the reactor) are
being weaponized," the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.
The agency said Pyongyang would not have tested its second nuclear
device if the United Nations had not objected to rocket launches in April.
It recalled the UN kept silent about South Korean rocket launch.
KCNA said North Korea remains committed to denuclearization of the
Korean Peninsula, but will take "further strong self-defense measures" if
the UN will press on with sanctions.
It also said Pyongyang opposes six-party nuclear talks as they abused
its "sovereign right for peaceful development."