The United States has announced that it has intercepted 11 shipments of nuclear materials that were on their way to North Korea or Iran during the past nine months. According to State Department spokesman Richard Boucher, this is part of a new program instituted by the U.S. and its allies in attempt to prevent the spread of nuclear technology and weapons of mass destruction.

'I have cited two cases involving North Korea. I have cited several cases involving countries of proliferation concern, including Iran,' Boucher said in a press briefing in Washington yesterday. 'We worked to impede the progress of North Korean weapons of mass destruction and missile programs.'

Boucher says the program has the cooperation of approximately 60 countries. He added, 'Bilateral cooperation with several governments prevented North Korea from receiving materials used in making chemical weapons and cooperation with another country blocked the transfer to North Korea of a material useful in its nuclear programs.'

The United States also said that it fears that North Korea is trying to export nuclear materials and or weapons.

David Gordon of the National Intelligence Council informed a committee in Congress that the actions taken by North Korea 'an indication that Kim might be willing to make good on his threat to market nuclear weapons or fissile material in the future.'

The program instituted by the Bush Administration is called the Proliferation Security Initiative of PSI. According to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, the program has been in existence for two years and has helped prevent the trafficking of weapons of mass destruction to unfriendly countries around the world.

'PSI partners, working at times with others, have prevented Iran from procuring goods to support its missile and WMD programs, including its nuclear program,' Rice told the State Department on Tuesday.

No indication was given what happened to the nuclear materials after they were intercepted by the United States and their allies.

It is also unclear exactly how far Washington will go to prevent the spread of nuclear technology to North Korea and Iran, the remaining two members of President Bush's so-called 'axis of evil.'