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N. Korea to boost nuke programme
North Korea said it was taking âconcrete measuresâ to boost its nuclear capabilities, reiterating that it was no longer interested in holding further negotiations with the United States. Well, thatâs it, then. Start loading the B-1âs, B-2âs and B-52âs A spokesman of the communist stateâs Foreign Ministry also told its official news agency KCNA late on Monday that if the US tried to force North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons programme before it provides Pyongyang with a non-aggression treaty, it would lead to âwarâ. âwarâ? How about war? Whatâs with the scare quotes? North Korea has made the threats before, and its Stalinist government tends to escalate its harsh rhetoric when it wants to extract concessions before crucial talks with the US. "OK, how about ânoâ?" The latest comments, monitored by South Korean news agency Yonhap on Tuesday, came as the US and others were trying to coax the North to return to six-nation nuclear talks that ended without agreement last month in Beijing. North Korea had already said it was no longer interested in further talks when the Beijing meeting ended a month ago without setting a date for the new round of talks. Sounds like the 150,000 Yalu campers need to have some military exercises? The talks stalled over strident differences between the the two countries. Washington demands that North Korea first dismantle its nuclear programmes, while the North says it will do so only if the US signs a non-aggression treaty, provides economic aid and open diplomatic ties. "Give us money" Aside from the two countries, the six-way talks comprised representatives from South Korea, China, Japan and Russia. Tuesdayâs statement was the first time since early September that North Korea said it was already taking those measures. North Korea has 8,000 spent nuclear fuel rods, from which it can extract enough plutonium to build several atomic bombs within months. North Korea is already believed to have at least one or two bombs. Soon to get more delivered, apparently, via air freight Posted by: Frank G 2003-09-30 |
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