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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Sen. John McCain (news, bio, voting record), a likely 2008 U.S. presidential contender, blamed former President Bill Clinton on Tuesday for failing to stop an unfolding nuclear threat from North Korea in the 1990s.
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The Arizona Republican also took a swipe at Clinton's wife, Hillary Rodham Clinton, a New York senator and possible Democratic rival for the White House.
A leading member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, McCain said it was time for the United States to invest in a larger active duty Army and Marine Corps but said he was not calling for immediate military action against North Korea.
While Democrats are criticizing Republican President George W. Bush for a failure of international diplomacy after North Korea reported testing a nuclear device, McCain found fault with the actions of Bush's predecessor.
"I would remind Senator (Hillary) Clinton and other critics of the Bush administration policies that the framework agreement of the Clinton administration was a failure," McCain said in a statement, referring to a 1994 deal under which North Korea agreed to halt work on a plutonium-based nuclear facility, partly in exchange for free fuel oil deliveries.
"The Koreans received millions of dollars in energy assistance ... and what did the Koreans do? They secretly enriched uranium," McCain said.
"We had a carrots-and-no-sticks policy that only encouraged bad behavior. When one carrot didn't work, we offered another."
McCain called on the U.N. Security Council to impose sanctions on North Korea, including financial and military sanctions and the right to inspect all cargo entering and leaving North Korea.
There was no immediate response from the former president's office. But Sen. Clinton's press spokesman accused McCain of "playing politics" with North Korea policy.
" President Bush has been in charge of North Korea policy for six years, and two days ago we saw the brazen result," the spokesman, Philippe Reines, said in a statement.
At the White House, spokesman Tony Snow on Tuesday also referred to the Clinton White House's North Korea policy as "a primarily carrots-oriented approach."
"Now you've got carrots and sticks," Snow said of the Bush tactics. "The sticks would be economic pressure on the government of North Korea."
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The Arizona Republican also took a swipe at Clinton's wife, Hillary Rodham Clinton, a New York senator and possible Democratic rival for the White House.
A leading member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, McCain said it was time for the United States to invest in a larger active duty Army and Marine Corps but said he was not calling for immediate military action against North Korea.
While Democrats are criticizing Republican President George W. Bush for a failure of international diplomacy after North Korea reported testing a nuclear device, McCain found fault with the actions of Bush's predecessor.
"I would remind Senator (Hillary) Clinton and other critics of the Bush administration policies that the framework agreement of the Clinton administration was a failure," McCain said in a statement, referring to a 1994 deal under which North Korea agreed to halt work on a plutonium-based nuclear facility, partly in exchange for free fuel oil deliveries.
"The Koreans received millions of dollars in energy assistance ... and what did the Koreans do? They secretly enriched uranium," McCain said.
"We had a carrots-and-no-sticks policy that only encouraged bad behavior. When one carrot didn't work, we offered another."
McCain called on the U.N. Security Council to impose sanctions on North Korea, including financial and military sanctions and the right to inspect all cargo entering and leaving North Korea.
There was no immediate response from the former president's office. But Sen. Clinton's press spokesman accused McCain of "playing politics" with North Korea policy.
" President Bush has been in charge of North Korea policy for six years, and two days ago we saw the brazen result," the spokesman, Philippe Reines, said in a statement.
At the White House, spokesman Tony Snow on Tuesday also referred to the Clinton White House's North Korea policy as "a primarily carrots-oriented approach."
"Now you've got carrots and sticks," Snow said of the Bush tactics. "The sticks would be economic pressure on the government of North Korea."