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16 October 2002
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http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/... |
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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - In a stunning development that opens up the possibility of a new crisis in Asia, North Korea, confronted with U.S. "evidence," has acknowledged it is operating a secret nuclear weapons program in violation of a 1994 agreement, senior U.S. officials said on Wednesday. One official told Reuters that the Bush administration believed North Korea's activities had "effectively nullified the 1994 Agreed Framework," a deal under which the reclusive Communist state promised to freeze its nuclear arms program. But the officials said the administration was consulting with Congress and allies and had made no decision on the next steps in its relations with North Korea, which has made clear it wants more cooperation with the international community. "We still have a desire to get rid of North Korea's nuclear weapons," one senior official said. President Bush and his administration entered office far more skeptical of Pyongyang than their predecessors in President Bill Clinton's administration. Bush has included North Korea with Iran and Iraq in what he termed an "axis of evil" of states developing weapons of mass destruction and backing international terrorism. North Korea is also a major supplier of missiles to many countries hostile to the United States, including in the Middle East. But while some hard-liners on Bush's team have long looked for ways to scuttle the 1994 accord, favoring a more confrontational approach, many analysts said the president may be forced to find a way to keep talking to Pyongyang. TOUGH GUY APPROACH Allies Japan and South Korea have been much more willing to work with North Korea. "The tough guy approach obviously isn't working," said one U.S. analyst who spoke on condition of anonymity. "The only approach that works is sitting down with the North Koreans and being constantly in touch with them and keeping them on track," he said. U.S. officials said Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly presented the North Koreans with documentation about the nuclear activities during a visit to Pyongyang from Oct. 3 to 5. At first the North Koreans balked but eventually "they acknowledged they had a secret Officials said they could not provide much detail without compromising intelligence sources and methods but one said, "Clearly it's a program that would have provided material that could have been used in nuclear weapons." He added that within the Bush administration "there is a consensus that North Korea's activities have effectively nullified the Agreed Framework." Asked why the North Koreans acknowledged the program, one senior official said: "Because we had the goods on them." North Korea embarked on the nuclear program "several years ago" and the administration concluded "in recent months" that it constituted activity banned by the 1994 accord, officials said. FREEZE THE NUCLEAR PROGRAM The Agreed Framework was brokered by the United States after the peninsula, still divided since the 1950-53 war which ended in a truce and not a peace treaty, came close to a new war in the early 1990s. The United States has 37,000 troops in the south. Under the 1994 accord Pyongyang promised to freeze a nuclear program that U.S. experts estimated had already produced one or two nuclear bombs. In return, the United States would provide the North with two light-water nuclear reactors for power generation which are harder to misuse to produce weapons material than the North's Soviet-era models. Before those came on line, heavy oil would be provided for heating in a deal, which also involved South Korea and Japan, expected to cost around $5 billion. Under the agreement Pyongyang undertook to allow in International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors, but has yet to do so. Asked whether the United States would now halt fuel oil deliveries, which could be critical as the country approaches its harsh winter, one official said "we've made no judgements about next steps." He reiterated the U.S. position that food aid to North Korea, where many go hungry, was not linked to the nuclear program but indicated that most of the donations to which the United States is committed are already in the pipeline. In addition to presenting evidence about the nuclear weapons program while in Pyongyang, Kelly outlined the political and economic benefits
that might accrue to North Korea if it addresses issues of concern like the nuclear and missile programs, US TALKS WITH S. KOREA, JAPAN But in light of the admission about the nuclear weapons program, "that's not an approach we can pursue," one official said. Kelly is now in Asia on a trip that includes stops in Japan and South Korea for consultations on what the three countries will do next. U.S. officials said the ball is in Pyongyang's court. "Do they want to join the world In addition to the nuclear program, the United States has been very concerned about North Korea's sale of ballistic missiles to other countries. Clinton claimed to be close to an agreement under which Pyongyang would halt its missile program but Bush, who came to office in January, 1990, delayed reengaging with the North until Kelly made his trip earlier this month.
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16 October 2002
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http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/... |
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WASHINGTON (AP) - In a startling revelation, North Korea (news - web sites) has told the United States it has a secret nuclear weapons program in violation of an 1994 agreement with the United States, the White House said Wednesday night. Spokesman Sean McCormack said North Korea was in "material breach" of the agreement under which it promised not to develop nuclear weapons. The commitment had raised hopes for a nuclear-free Korean peninsula, but that hope is dashed for the time being, and relations with the United States are back to square one. The two countries had just resumed high-level security talks less than two weeks ago McCormack said the United States is consulting with it allies, South Korea and Japan, and with members of Congress on next steps. "We seek a peaceful resolution of this situation," McCormack said. "Everyone in the region has a stake in this issue and no peaceful nation wants to see a nuclear-armed North Korea." "The United States and our allies call on North Korea to comply with its commitments under the nonproliferation treaty and to eliminate its nuclear weapons program in a verifiable manner." U.S. officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said North Korea told U.S. officials that it is no longer bound by the anti-nuclear agreement. The dramatic disclosure complicates President Bush's campaign to disarm Iraq under threat of military force, coming almost nine months after Bush said North Korea was part of an "axis of evil" along with Iran and Iraq. It seems unlikely, however, that North Korea will become a target country for the United States much as Iraq is nowadays. With war plans for Iraq already on the drawing board and a broader war on terrorism still under way, threats against North Korea could leave the United States overextended. Until now, the United States' main concern with North Korea has been its sale of ballistic missiles to Syria, Iran and other countries. Now North Korea's nuclear program is added to the mix. The United States has been suspicious about North Korea's nuclear intentions for some time despite the agreement. A CIA report in January said that during the second half of last year, North Korea "continued its attempts procure technology worldwide that could have applications in its nuclear program. "We assess that North Korea has produced enough plutonium for at least one, and South Korean Deputy Foreign Minister Lee Tae-sik said South Korea has consistently "We urge North Korea to abide by its obligations," he said. There was no immediate Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly visited North Korea on Oct. 3-5 and demanded that the communist state address global concerns about its nuclear and other weapons programs. In response, the Pyongyang government accused Bush's special envoy of making Under the 1994 agreement, North Korea promised to give up its nuclear weapons program and to allow inspections to verify that it did not have the material needed to construct such weapons. But it has yet to allow the inspections, drawing criticism from the Bush administration. The agreement also called for the construction of two light water nuclear reactors to replace the plutonium-producing reactors Pyongyang had been using. The reactors were being financed mostly by South Korea and Japan. Construction of the reactors began just two months ago. An administration source said Kelly also raised with North Korea evidence that Pyongyang may have a uranimum-enrichment program. The program, which the United States believes would only be used to develop a nuclear bomb, began under the Clinton administration, according to the official. Surprisingly, North Korea confirmed the allegation. The Bush administration has not decided how to respond. "We're going to keep talking," an official said. After months of tension with South Korea, the North resumed high-level talks in August that restarted stalled reconciliation efforts on the Korean peninsula - divided by the most heavily armed border in the world. The Koreas were divided after World War II and remained that way at the end of the inconclusive Korean War from 1950-53. About 37,000 U.S. troops are stationed in South Korea as a deterrent against the North.
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16 October 2002
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http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/... |
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SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - South Korea urged North Korea on Thursday to honor international anti-nuclear agreements after Washington announced that the North had admitted to having a secret nuclear weapons program. "We urge North Korea to abide by its obligations," Deputy Foreign Minister Lee Tae-sik said. President Kim Dae-jung believes North Korea's nuclear development is a "very serious matter which cannot be accepted under any circumstances," said Yim Sung-joon, a national security adviser. A Foreign Ministry official said U.S. Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly, who visited North Korea on Oct. 3-5 to raise concerns about the North's weapons programs, will travel to South Korea within the next few days. Kelly and South Korean officials will discuss "matters of mutual concern," said the A senior American official in Washington said late Wednesday that North Korea has told the United States it has a secret nuclear weapons program in violation of an agreement signed with the previous U.S. government under President Clinton. North Korea also told U.S. diplomats it is no longer beholden to the anti-nuclear agreement, said the official who spoke on condition of anonymity. There was no comment Thursday morning from North Korea on the nuclear issue. There was no immediate response from the Japanese government. Japan and South Korea are treaty allies of the United States. Lee said South Korea has consistently pursued the de-nuclearization of the Korean peninsula in line with international agreements, including the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and the 1994 Agreed Framework between North Korea and the United States. South Korea has been in close consultations with the United States and Japan after being informed about the "suspected North Korean nuclear development," he said. "All these issues should be resolved through dialogue and peacefully, and we will continue to strengthen cooperative consultations with the United States and Japan," Lee said. He also said South Korea would raise the nuclear issue in talks with North Korea. A round of Cabinet-level talks between the Koreas is scheduled for Oct. 19-22 in Pyongyang. "The talks should be held to discuss the suspicious nuclear development," said Kim Hyung-ki, South Korea's vice unification minister.
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