Posted on 10/21/2006 9:09:27 PM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
Rice says N.Korea trying to escalate nuclear crisis
By Sue Pleming
1 hour, 30 minutes ago
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice cast doubt on reports that North Korea had pledged not to stage another nuclear test, saying on Saturday it seemed instead bent on escalating the crisis.
News reports had raised hopes that tension was easing on Friday by saying North Korean leader Kim Jong-il had told China's special envoy Tang Jiaxuan this week he planned no further nuclear tests.
But Rice met Tang in Beijing on Friday and later told reporters traveling on to Moscow with her:
"Tang did not tell me that Kim Jong-il either apologised for the test or said that he would not ever test again."
Russia is the last stop on Rice's five-day trip to rally support for U.N. economic and weapons sanctions, imposed a week ago to punish Pyongyang for its October 9 underground nuclear test explosion.
Little emerged from her talks on Saturday evening with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Kremlin press secretary Alexei Gromov said Rice had briefed the president on her trip to Seoul, Tokyo and Beijing.
"The president and secretary of state exchanged views on issues related to North Korea and questions linked to nuclear non-proliferation," Interfax news agency quoted him as saying.
The talks also focused on "forthcoming Russian-U.S. contacts at the highest level," the statement said without elaborating.
Rice had earlier played down reports Kim had told Beijing he "regretted" the test, condemned internationally, including by China, the North's closest ally and economic lifeline.
"The Chinese did not, in a fairly thorough briefing to me, say anything about an apology," she said. "The North Koreans, I think, would like to see an escalation of the tension."
She also questioned whether Pyongyang intended to return to six-party talks, stalled for nearly a year.
Kim Kye-gwan, North Korea's top nuclear negotiator, earlier told U.S. television Pyongyang hoped to return to the table.
NORTH KOREAN BOYCOTT
North Korea has boycotted the talks, which bring together the two Koreas, the United States, Japan, Russia and China, because Washington, accusing it of counterfeiting money, is imposing restrictions on its external financing.
South Korea's Chosun Ilbo newspaper quoted an unidentified diplomatic source in Beijing as saying Kim had told Tang that Pyongyang would resume talks if Washington ended its financial sanctions. But Rice said they would remain.
"The financial measures are a legal process which has to do with counterfeiting money. The (U.S.) president has made very clear at every turn that he is going to defend the U.S. currency," she said.
China's Xinhua news agency quoted Tang as saying the United States should take a more flexible attitude toward North Korea, a view which Russia echoed on Saturday.
"Settling financial problems in relations between the United States and North Korea would have considerable importance in creating conditions for the resumption of the talks," Russia's Interfax news agency quoted Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as telling the Kuwaiti news agency in an interview.
Rice's visits to Tokyo, Seoul and Beijing were overshadowed by speculation that North Korea would conduct a second nuclear test. But on Friday reports said Kim had told Tang no more nuclear tests were planned.
South Korea's Yonhap news agency quoted a diplomatic source as saying: "I understand he (Kim) expressed clearly there was no plan to conduct nuclear tests."
Rice won few commitments from China and South Korea on implementing sanctions on their impoverished neighbor.
China is seen as having the greatest potential leverage but fears instability and a potential wave of refugees should sanctions prompt North Korea's collapse.
North Korea said it was ready for any crisis and would "react to the aggressors' play with fire with dreadful strike of justice."
Its official KCNA news agency said on Saturday that U.S. pressure for sanctions, backed by Japan and South Korea, was aimed at suffocating the country.
"This development is pushing the situation to the worst phase of confrontation and the eve of war," it said. "The army and people ... are fully ready to become human bullets and bombs in defending Korean-style socialism, their dignity and life."
N. Korean leader said to vow to observe denuclearization accord
TOKYO, Oct. 22 (Yonhap) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-il promised to abide by the 1992 agreement to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula during his meeting with Chinese envoy Tang Jiaxuan in Pyongyang on Oct. 19, diplomatic sources here said Sunday.
Beijing has briefed Tokyo on the results of Tang's North Korean visit, quoting Kim as promising to observe the inter-Korean denuclearization accord signed in 1992, said the sources.
The Chinese government reportedly concluded on the basis of Kim's remarks that Pyongyang would not carry out a second nuclear bomb test, they said.
But it is not clear whether the reclusive North Korean leader clearly expressed an intention to suspend an additional nuclear test, they added.
U.S. is basically saying that N. Korea should return to 6-party talks "unconditionally." No lifting of financial sanctions, whether they set off another nuke or not.
Ping!
I think Condi is this close of going Lucy Liu on Chia Pet
Thanks Tiger!
Looks like we are leaving the NK mess to the Democrats....again.
Huh?
As in the chop-sockey Lucy Liu of "Charlie's Angels".
ever wonder why?
ever wonder why?
It's time to call a spade a spade. The six-party talks have failed and China and Russia have made it clear they won't support any serious sanctions.
The line that China fears a mass exodus from N. Korea is a crock. China has 1.3 billion people and N.Korea about 23 million and the border is very short. Just as they were puppets for Mao and Stalin in starting and ending the Korean War - so they remain puppets of their present handlers.
The question for America now is to determine what the ultimate and most effective military response to rogue nations like N.Korea and Iran should be - and what must be done to best prepare our armed forces if this becomes necessary.
For example, I've heard some military experts say that we're not even fully capable of taking on Iran at this point(?)
She knows EXACTLY what they are up to. This is quite a chess game. She knows the wedges they are trying to drive between the five nations of the SIX PARTY TALKS and moving counter intuitively. However, what is sad, is that we might be a bit on the defensive, having to be reactionary, when we should fully be making DPRK react to us on our terms. It is SO DIFFICULT to unite those five countries.
Although China and DPRK used by be as close as teeth and lips, as they say, those days are diminishing fast.
Once can see what is happening particularly in Dandong City, a major transphipment customs port, along the DPRK border on the Yalu River.
70% of fuel shipment from PRC to DPRK is being stopped. Drivers are reporting frustration that they are not allowed to send fuel on a daily basis over the Friendship Bridge. China has been constructing a fence. I have seen this via video on Japanese TV. The key is to keep it up.
Why should we lift sanctions. They counterfeited our currency. If you do that in the states you are in really bad trouble. When a foreign power does it,it can be taken as an act of war. Screw NK, let them fire their nuke and they will cease to exist in under 40 mins.They may bully SK,but the US can destroy them with the push of a button.
BTTT
I've heard wesley clarke say that, but then he would say something like that. We aren't even utilizing 1/10th of our power.
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