WASHINGTON. Apr 3: North Korea nearly doubled Its plutonium capacity while keeping international Inspectors at bay during protracted ne gotiations al the United Nations. the Washington Post reported, says AFP

North Korea is "poised to go forward" with its ambition to become a nuclear power, the newspaper's Saturday edition quoted a US official as saying.

North Koreas have been steadily constructing at Its Yongbyon site a new reprocesston line — from which plutonium Is extracted from spent nuclear fuel - and are ex pected Io finish It in about six months, sources told the Post.

Once finished, the new line would effectively double North Korea s plutonium production, though North Korea’s efforts could be delayed by the diffi culty In importing the instruments needed to complete the line, the Post reported

The State Department spokeswoman Sondra McCarty called the Post report "disturbing." though she said It "doesn’t come as a surprise

But she added, 'we don't have evidence that North Korea has. In fact, reprocessed additional plutonium."

Evidence that the pro gramme Is expanding was collected by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Inspectors during their March visit to Yongbyon and disclosed in a closed-door session of the UN Security Council, the Post said

However. IAEA Director Hans Blix left out key details from the written public report because of the agency's uncertainty about Pyongyang's moll " vations. officials told the Post.

Elsewhere at the Yongbyong complex. IAEA Inspectors said North Korea has prepared for the withdrawal of spent nuclear fuel by fabricating a re

placement load of nuclear fuel, according to the Post.

The IAEA has demanded that the spent fuel be withdrawn no later than July and has asked that It be allowed to inspect the procedure to ensure that plutonium has not been extracted from the fuel.

The Central Intelligence Agency believes that North Korea has enough plutonium for at least one puclear weapon Pyongyang had denied it Is building a nuclear weapon.

Some US officials said North Korea’s strategy was to pursue Ils nuclear programme as negotiations continue at the United Nations, while other contended Pyongyang wanted to increase its bargaining power, the Post said.

This clearly is a signal that should various thing, not be forthcoming. North Korea will, just go down this particular (bomb building! road” a diplomatic official told the Post.