United States wants to take case on North Korea to Security Council.(Chicago Tribune)

Byline: Michael A. Lev

BEIJING _ An American envoy on Monday signaled the next steps the United States wants to take in a developing carrot-and-stick approach to diplomacy to end the nuclear standoff with North Korea.

Undersecretary of State John Bolton said that the United States favors bringing its case before the U.N. Security Council, which could pursue a limited form of sanctions against North Korea, but that under the right circumstances President Bush would consider giving North Korea the written security guarantee that it seeks.

While not laying out a complete blueprint to American diplomacy, Bolton reiterated Washington's position that a combination of international political pressure and promises of incentives could suppress North Korea's nuclear ambitions. …