North Korea today barred international inspectors from its Yongbyon nuclear reactor complex, dramatically raising the stakes in a standoff with the United States over a proposed inspection scheme for nuclear facilities.
The move came as the Bush administration is engaged in deep debate over whether to adjust its inspection plan to accommodate North Korea's concerns and whether to speed up North Korea's removal from a list of state sponsors of terror. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher R. Hill visited Pyongyang last week, but U.S. officials have been noticeably mum about what, if any, proposals he brought back to Washington.
The International Atomic Energy Agency, which has been monitoring the site, announced in Vienna that Pyongyang "informed IAEA inspectors that effective immediately access to facilities at Yongbyon would no longer be permitted."
North Korea "also stated that it has stopped its [nuclear] disablement work," its statement said. "Also, since it is preparing to restart the facilities at Yongbyon, the DPRK has informed the IAEA that our monitoring activities would no longer be appropriate," the statement said, referring to North Korea by the acronym for its formal title, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
Pyongyang has said it is suspending steps on dismantling its facility because it accuses Washington of failing to follow through on a pledge to remove it from the State Department terror list. The Bush administration has refused to take that move until North Korea agrees to a verification plan.
In July, the United States requested "full access to all materials" at sites that might have had a nuclear purpose in the past. It sought "full access to any site, facility or location" deemed relevant to the nuclear program, including military facilities, according to the four-page document. Investigators would be able to take photographs and make videos, remain on site as long as necessary, make repeated visits and collect and remove samples. |
