1.   But he said he was certain that North Korea, among other states, was secretly keeping smallpox stocks.

2.   Russia, the only other nation known to retain smallpox stocks, has opposed their destruction.

3.   The Bush administration decided last year that it wanted to retain the smallpox stocks on hand to help combat any re-emergence of the disease.

4.   U.S. officials said that he had privately warned that North Korea, among other countries, was secretly keeping smallpox stocks.

5.   Virtually all member countries said they remained committed to the elimination of the smallpox stocks as soon as possible.

6.   Facing U.S. and Russian opposition, members of the World Health Organization pulled back Friday from insisting on the destruction of the last known smallpox stocks within six weeks.

7.   Simpson was speaking a day after the UN health agency cancelled plans to destroy all remaining smallpox virus stocks this year.