WASHINGTON, July 14: US Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist on Friday proposed imposing on North Korea the same sanctions that Washington has already slapped on Syria and Iran.

The sanctions, in retaliation for North Korea’s recent missile tests, would also punish nations or individuals who trade arms or sensitive technologies with Pyongyang.

“North Korea must not be permitted to obtain additional materials that could advance its weapons and missile program,” the Republican said in a statement in response to Pyongyang’s July 5 tests.

“Because preventing such progress by Kim Jong-Il’s brutal regime is vital to national and global security, I have introduced this legislation authorising US sanctions on foreign persons or companies that transfer missile or WMD-related items to North Korea or that buy such items from North Korea.”

The bill’s co-author, Senator Sam Brownback, said the sanctions would reinforce a regime of US sanctions already in place against the North.

“North Korea is a failed state on life support from China,” Mr Brownback said. “We must do everything to prevent the regime from drawing on outside support for its weapons program.”

The US bill appeared as the UN Security Council met for the second day on Friday to try to reconcile rival proposals aimed at censuring Pyongyang ahead of a vote they hope to hold before the weekend G8 summit.

A Chinese draft supports voluntary bilateral sanctions against the North, while Tokyo’s version, backed by Washington, proposes mandatory global sanctions against Pyongyang.

The United States has similar sanctions in place against Syria and Iran for their support of Hezbollah and Hamas.

Some critics say the sanctions would be counterproductive, now that the United States wants China to use its influence to persuade North Korea to return to the bargaining table.

The top US negotiator, Christopher Hill, said China was doing admirable work. —AFP