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White House Won't Undo N. Korea Sanctions
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Bush administration on Tuesday rejected a North Korean demand that it lift sanctions as a way of possibly resuming stalled nuclear disarmament talks.
The two issues are unrelated, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said. "I don't see in what way they are preventing North Korea from going back to the six-party talks."

The sanctions were imposed for alleged currency counterfeiting and other illegal activities.

"While under U.S. sanctions, it's impossible to sit face-to-face and discuss abandoning our nuclear deterrent," said the Rodong Sinmun, the North's ruling Workers Party newspaper, in a Korean-language commentary carried by the official Korean Central News Agency. "The U.S. sanctions are obviously the fundamental element that disrupts the six-party talks," the newspaper said.
We wouldn't sit face-to-face with you even if the sanctions weren't in place.
McCormack said it was important and reasonable for the United States to protect American currency. "We, the United States, as well as other countries are going to take steps to stop, inhibit or prevent illicit activities," he said.
Posted by: Steve White 2006-01-04
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=138948