| Submit your comments on this article | |
| Korea | |
| North Korea Seen as Ready to Agree to Wider Meetings | |
| 2003-08-01 | |
The Bush administration said today that North Korea appeared ready to agree to proposed multiparty talks to resolve the impasse over the North's refusal to dismantle its accelerating nuclear weapons program. Administration officials and Asian diplomats said that while no formal word had been received in Washington, there were several indications that months of pressure had been successful in getting North Korea to meet the American demand for talks to include South Korea, Japan and possibly Russia. China took part in discussions with the United States and the North in April. Foremost among the new indications was an announcement from the Foreign Ministry in Moscow that North Korea had accepted the proposal for multiparty talks with the other countries, including Russia. It had not been clear until then that Russia would take part. Subsequently, administration officials said that in a telephone conversation on Wednesday, President Hu Jintao of China had told President Bush he expected a positive response from Pyongyang, the North Korea capital. Richard A. Boucher, the State Department spokesman, said the United States was "very encouraged" by these signs, but he and other officials said there had been no formal acceptance transmitted. Asian and American diplomats said that the talks could occur in August but that September was more likely.
| |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |
| #5 SPQR 2755 and Hodadendon---Re: negotiating with the NORKS. You guys are right on in the "negotiating is stalling for time" idea. This has been going on for 50 years with no progress. The NorKs have their agenda and it has not changed. They have been throwing tantrums. It worked with Bubba. It did not work for Dubya. So they change their tack. Our biggest enemies in our dealings with the NORKS are China (diesel sugar daddy now) and SKOR, who keep undermining the negotiating process by giving the NORKS stuff UTT (under the table). We need to have a chat with China. But the biggest chat we need to have is with the SORKS (formerly Skor) who keep buggering us while our backs are turned. Sorry for the imagery, but we have to get the point across with emphasis... |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2003-8-1 1:54:59 PM |
| #4 From past example, the Norks consider such "meetings" as forums for strident polemic, a chance to stall for time, and an opportunity for extortion. This is therfore to be welcomed because... ? |
| Posted by: Hodadenon 2003-8-1 1:39:50 PM |
| #3 They are only trying to buy time by talking to the stupid Americans while they build more nukes. There is no getting away from it. Sooner or later we have to take them out. Best to do it sooner. North Korea delenda est. |
| Posted by: SPQR 2755 2003-8-1 11:15:14 AM |
| #2 Agreed, LH. Unless they are truly insane - and it's becoming rather apparent that it's merely a bizarre ploy (a.k.a. NorK Foreign Policy) by an even more bizarre cretin (a.k.a. Dear Leader) - then the Bush admin has effectively parried their best efforts. Rather like a babysitter watching a child throw a massive tantrum, again. NorK is a one-trick pony. We've seen the trick and it's lame. We never should've fallen for it the first time, but we certainly won't be suckers again. Send it back to Mumsie and Daddy for a spanking. I don't believe we should even participate in whatever "talks" eventually occur - at least initially. What's there to talk about? Scrap the nukes, the missiles, the "programs", the nuke plants, the massive military, the foreign policy, the regime, the whole nine yards of this mock country - then we'll talk about how you can feed your people and come out of the Dark Ages. Then, from the same shop-worn drama club, we have Cuba, Burma, et al. Perhaps they, too, will "get it." |
| Posted by: PD 2003-8-1 10:42:00 AM |
| #1 This is very good news - both for the US, and again, for the Bush admin. The North korean policy, which was being widely attacked, now seems to have achieved its intermediate goal of bringing Nkor to multilateral talks. |
| Posted by: liberalhawk 2003-8-1 9:17:54 AM |