Senators’ resolution supports the South

WASHINGTON - A bipartisan group of U.S. senators Thursday introduced a resolution expressing solidarity with South Korea as it investigates the sinking of a South Korean warship near the western sea border with North Korea in late March.

The resolution, written by Sen. Joe Lieberman (ID-Conn.) and co-sponsored by four other senators, also calls for the international community to abide by UN resolutions imposing sanctions on North Korea for its nuclear and missile tests.

A team of South Korean, U.S., Australian and Swedish specialists has been trying to determine what caused the sinking of the Cheonan on March 26, which killed 46 sailors.

They found aluminum pieces and traces of a high-powered explosive used in torpedoes in the ship’s wreckage and at the scene of the sinking, and on Thursday were comparing the metal fragments to a stray North Korean torpedo found seven years ago.

The resolution “urges the international community to fully support the South Korean-led international investigation into the Cheonan’s sinking, and to fully and faithfully implement all United Nations Security Council Resolutions pertaining to security on the Korean Peninsula.”

It also “expresses the Senate’s sympathy for the families and loved ones of the 46 South Korean sailors who were killed or lost at sea in this tragic incident, and reiterates the enduring U.S. commitment to the alliance between South Korea and the United States.”

South Korean officials have said they will not rejoin the six-party talks on ending North Korea’s nuclear weapons programs before the probe’s conclusion, suspecting North Korea is involved.

“This is only a small gesture of the deep sympathy that all Americans feel in the wake of this tragic incident,” Lieberman said on his Web site. “The United States is unwavering in our commitment to the security of South Korea, and we will continue to closely follow the international investigation into the sinking of the Cheonan.”

Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.) joined forces with Lieberman.

“The Republic of Korea is one of America’s closest allies, and we support our Korean allies as they work to determine the cause of the horrific sinking of the Cheonan,” McCain said on the Web site.

The resolution’s other sponsors are Carl Levin (D-MI), John Kerry (D-MA) and Richard Lugar (R-IN).

Yonhap