U.S.: N. Korea Must Admit Uranium Program

[MR.BROWNSTONE]

No nuclear agreement with North Korea (news - web sites) is possible until the Communist nation agrees to eliminate the uranium-based program it has refused to acknowledge, a senior State Department official said Thursday.

Heading into six-nation talks next week, the United States is looking for a strategic commitment from North Korea to end its bomb-making capability with the same clarity and commitment shown by Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Also Thursday, President Bush (news - web sites) and South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun spoke about those talks during a 25-minute call. The talks start Wednesday in Beijing and include China, South Korea (news - web sites), Japan and Russia. Similar discussions in August ended inconclusively.

Roh's office said in a statement that the two leaders agreed the talks "should make concrete progress and provide a turning point for peacefully resolving the North Korean nuclear problem."

White House spokesman Scott McClellan said the presidents agreed to work toward making the discussions a success. "They share the view that they will approach the talks in a constructive and sincere manner," McClellan said.

The State Department official said the Bush administration is willing to show patience should a commitment not come next week from North Korea.

There is no evidence yet that North Korea's leader, Kim Jong Il, is ready to follow the actions of Gadhafi, the official said. U.S. official say Gadhafi has been fulfilling a December commitment to disclose and dismantle all unconventional weapons.

The United States has claimed since 2002 that it has concrete evidence that North Korea, in addition to its publicly acknowledged plutonium-bomb program, is developing a uranium-based weapons capability.

North Korea has denied any such intention. Some experts believe the North's position has been undercut by recent disclosures that the founder of Pakistan's nuclear weapons program, A.Q. Khan, had assisted the communist state's uranium program.

U.S. officials also maintain that a senior North Korean official acknowledged the existence of the uranium program during a meeting with American diplomats in Pyongyang, the North's capital, in October 2002.

North Korea has denied making any such statement and has suggested that a translation problem was to blame.

The United States is seeking the "complete, verifiable and irreversible" elimination of North Korea's programs.

North Korea initially placed high priority on receiving security assurances in exchange for disarmament. More recently, North Korea has shown interest in compensation and "tangible benefits," an apparent reference to aid programs, according to the U.S. official.

Source: Yahoo News

[Miz]

Well, why don't we just ask them to let weapons inspectors in, then when they say no we can go invade them and "liberate" the North Koreans by removing the evil dictator threatening world peace from power.  Oh right, they have REAL nuclear weapons and no oil.

[Izzy]

North Korea is the real threat to world security - not Saddam and his clowns.

N. Korea has in all likelyhood developed a nuclear weapon which could most likely hit Japan - or be sold to terrorists - but because they lack oil not much is going to happen about it....

[GnRNightrain]

As you guys always say, the US isnt the only country in the world.  If they are such a big threat then how come the UN is doing nothing.  How come France, Germany, etc are doing nothing.

So its only the US to blame?  After all no one wants us to police the world, do they?

[GNR-Chris]

Don't forget about North Korea's human rights record,

Check out this report:

http://www.hrnk.org/hiddengulag/toc.html

Its shocking stuff.

Did anyone else see that program on BBC2 a couple of weeks back that talked about what they do in those camps? I was really shocked that we know about all this and we just seem to be ignoring it or just hoping it goes away They are a much bigger deal than Saddam was.

A link about the programme:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2004/02_february/01/korea.shtml

GNR-Chris

[Miz]

As you guys always say, the US isnt the only country in the world.  If they are such a big threat then how come the UN is doing nothing.  How come France, Germany, etc are doing nothing.

So its only the US to blame?  After all no one wants us to police the world, do they?

Also Thursday, President Bush (news - web sites) and South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun spoke about those talks during a 25-minute call. The talks start Wednesday in Beijing and include China, South Korea (news - web sites), Japan and Russia. Similar discussions in August ended inconclusively.

Look, i'm not saying that these talks are a bad thing.  They certainly aren't.  They're definitly good.  I was merely pointing out (what seems to me) the obvious proof that the US never believed Saddam had Nuclear capabilities when they went to war with him this time.  Because if someone has the power to annihilate millions, you don't go invade their country.

[Prometheus]

and now they are back for talks on nuclear arms.... bout time.....

[N.I.B]

As you guys always say, the US isnt the only country in the world. ?If they are such a big threat then how come the UN is doing nothing. ?How come France, Germany, etc are doing nothing.

So its only the US to blame? ?After all no one wants us to police the world, do they?

Because they all fear the U.S and the strongest millitary in the world.

[August 18th]

i don't know how some countries can still insist on being communist. it's sickening how they are denying their citicens the basic rights of freedom and a free market to choose from, even if they are poor. i think these leaders should be arrested and jailed for life, but i can see how getting to that point would be a problem, sadly. it's a sad world we live in, and not as modern as we like to think it is.

[Prometheus]

i don't know how some countries can still insist on being communist. it's sickening how they are denying their citicens the basic rights of freedom and a free market to choose from, even if they are poor. i think these leaders should be arrested and jailed for life, but i can see how getting to that point would be a problem, sadly. it's a sad world we live in, and not as modern as we like to think it is.

if you really break it down..... communism was a rather blunt and ratehr too quickly implmented ideal...... if you look at canada and the UK.... and well the EU.... the majority have moderate socialist goverments..... and are on a slow march, that will take many decades to acheive, toward the true envisioned form of communism. one that can maintain a free market and yet provide everything for its citizens.

[Jamie]

Am I the only one who fails to see the hypocrisy in all this? The US used uranium based weapons in Iraq, the US sure as hell have access to WMD's. How come noone's knockin their door down for weapon's inspection. How come the Bush administration thinks they are the only nation allowed to possess deadly weapons. Where is the sense in that. I agree N.Korea should be stripped of it's WMD's if, indeed, it possesses any. But so should the US and it's allies. But no, the US are the good guys! They're allowed to have WMD's because they police the world, and protect the little guy!

[N.I.B]

i don't know how some countries can still insist on being communist. it's sickening how they are denying their citicens the basic rights of freedom and a free market to choose from, even if they are poor. i think these leaders should be arrested and jailed for life, but i can see how getting to that point would be a problem, sadly. it's a sad world we live in, and not as modern as we like to think it is.

same thing can be said about fachism (sp?). communism by theory if a way to unify all people, rich and poor, young and old, to all be equal where the government provovides. its dosnt deny people's rights.
it has its flaws, and by all means i dont like communism, but to say its leaders should be jailed is a stupid comment.

[August 18th]

i don't know how some countries can still insist on being communist. it's sickening how they are denying their citicens the basic rights of freedom and a free market to choose from, even if they are poor. i think these leaders should be arrested and jailed for life, but i can see how getting to that point would be a problem, sadly. it's a sad world we live in, and not as modern as we like to think it is.

same thing can be said about fachism (sp?). communism by theory if a way to unify all people, rich and poor, young and old, to all be equal where the government provovides. its dosnt deny people's rights.
it has its flaws, and by all means i dont like communism, but to say its leaders should be jailed is a stupid comment.

"a stupid comment"? tell that to the millions suffering under those leaders in north korea and china. gimme a break, and i know what communism stands for, i know even better the results. gimme a break, you're obviously ignorant.

[N.I.B]

i don't know how some countries can still insist on being communist. it's sickening how they are denying their citicens the basic rights of freedom and a free market to choose from, even if they are poor. i think these leaders should be arrested and jailed for life, but i can see how getting to that point would be a problem, sadly. it's a sad world we live in, and not as modern as we like to think it is.

same thing can be said about fachism (sp?). communism by theory if a way to unify all people, rich and poor, young and old, to all be equal where the government provovides. its dosnt deny people's rights.
it has its flaws, and by all means i dont like communism, but to say its leaders should be jailed is a stupid comment.

"a stupid comment"? tell that to the millions suffering under those leaders in north korea and china. gimme a break, and i know what communism stands for, i know even better the results. gimme a break, you're obviously ignorant.

yes it is. tell that to the millions suffering in the streets of north america. they belive in democracy. there is more poverty in north america than in communist controlled countries. im not ignorant, im just saying that saying communist leaders should be jailed is a stupid comment.

[August 18th]

why is it a stupid comment? i hate people who can't refrain from insult, still they can't make a good point themselves. fuck off and go defend slavery again, you're starting to piss me off.

[N.I.B]

why is it a stupid comment? i hate people who can't refrain from insult, still they can't make a good point themselves. fuck off and go defend slavery again, you're starting to piss me off.

a) i never insulted you
B)im not defending slavery
c)the reason your pissed of right now is because you cant think of a counter-topic to my last post

cheers, mate   

[August 18th]

wtf, are you dumb or something? yes you insult me as you obviously take a liking to stalking me trough threads, and the comment about "millions suffering in the streets of north america" is pure bullshit. yes there is poverty in america but you don't have a clue as to what you're talking about when comparing the US to north korea where people starve and get thrown in jail for life for opening their mouth about politics. frankly i didn't think that comparison deserved a comment, hence my silence. you don't know what you're defending.

[N.I.B]

wtf, are you dumb or something? yes you insult me as you obviously take a liking to stalking me trough threads, and the comment about "millions suffering in the streets of north america" is pure bullshit. yes there is poverty in america but you don't have a clue as to what you're talking about when comparing the US to north korea where people starve and get thrown in jail for life for opening their mouth about politics. frankly i didn't think that comparison deserved a comment, hence my silence. you don't know what you're defending.

i know damn well what im defending, my country was oppressed by communism for a loong time. i said i hate it, i hate everything to do with it, but im pointing out oyur comments on it arn't accurate. communist leaders shouldnt be jailed for running their country as they see fit. alright ill use your logic. "people who dont like the queen are suffering. the royal family should be jailed for life" all i said was your comment was a stupid one. now tell me chap, how is that an insult?

[August 18th]

listen. the oppression and suffering in north korea and china is a direct result of how the leaders in those countries have mistreated their own people to keep themselves on top. it's disguisting, and they should pay for it. you don't know much about these countries do you.

[Genesis]

As you guys always say, the US isnt the only country in the world. ?If they are such a big threat then how come the UN is doing nothing. ?How come France, Germany, etc are doing nothing.

Bcoz, the UN is a farce, a puppet in the hands of Uncle Sam...