Posted on 11/13/2007 3:36:04 AM PST by AmericanInTokyo
U.S. to Strike N.Korea Off Terror List Under 'Secret Deal'
The U.S. in a closed-doors deal on Oct. 3 agreed to strike North Korea from its list of state sponsors of terrorism and suspend the Trading with the Enemy Act by year's end provided North Korea disables its nuclear facilities by then, a senior South Korean official says. The official told Korean reporters in Washington last week the Oct. 3 deal “includes a list of facilities North Korea agreed to disable. It also includes what the other five nations agreed to do, including the issues of striking North Korea from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism and suspending the application of the Trading with the Enemy Act.” These measures “are supposed to be completed by the end of this year."
◆International acceptance?
That would create a favorable atmosphere for North Korea’s acceptance into the international community, to say nothing of Pyongyang-Washington relations. North Korea was designated as a state sponsor of terrorism in 1988, in the aftermath of the bombing of a Korean Air passenger plane in 1987. In 2002, U.S. President George W. Bush famously singled out the North as part of an "axis of evil."
Once struck from that list, North Korea can be also be taken off the various blacklists of international financial organizations including the IMF. Embargoes on exports of dual-use technology to North Korea will also likely be removed, which could include state-of-the-art computers or chemicals.
And once the Trading with the Enemy Act, which has included North Korea since 1950, no longer applies, North Korea will be able to get its U.S. assets unfrozen and do business with U.S. banks. When the Korean War broke out, the U.S. Treasury imposed a total ban on trading and financial transactions with North Korea. North Korea’s assets in the U.S. are estimated at about US$14 million.
◆ N.Korea to benefit early next year
But whether the U.S. will lift both restrictions depends on the progress of North Korea's disablement of its nuclear facilities. Some U.S. officials predict North may prove tardy given that it has never kept any of its promises within the agreed timelines.
The senior South Korean official said delays are therefore possible. But it will probably be only a matter of time, since North Korea has already started disabling nuclear facilities including its main 5-MW atomic reactor at Yongbyon.
In a declaration as long ago as Oct. 6, 2000, North Korea promised to end support for terrorism. It will therefore crate no big problem for North Korean authorities to reaffirm the principle. By law, the U.S. administration has to submit to Congress a letter of certification 45 days before North Korea is removed from the list to prove that the communist country has changed. Some officials say this procedure can be omitted.
Japan still opposes the U.S. the move as long as the matter of Japanese abduction victims remains unresolved. But that should provide no major hurdle seeing as Washington is determined to rack up a diplomatic achievement in denuclearizing North Korea.
(englishnews@chosun.com
We have come full circle in seven short years, right back to square one with the Bill Clinton/Madeline Albright/Bill Richardson/Jack Pritchard carrot-approach to one of the most foul regimes on the face of the earth, North Korea..
Thank you, Bush State Department.
“DPRK-USA Peace Treaty by July 2008”-BUMP and PING!!
sigh!
Morning bump from East Asia!
"Regacy" vs. "Roanery" bump!
/sar
Reading this headline brought me such hope, then I got to the part about “off terror list.” Oh well.
Yep. Big difference. Probably the difference between 2002 and 2007.
Yep. Big difference. Probably the difference between 2002 and 2007.
I think by the end of next year...you will see a US directive given to the US military to star preparing for the exit of South Korea. It won’t happen during this watch...but the next president is going to be handed a exit plan from South Korea and have to face facts that the US military has little need to remain.
So somewhere in 2009...you will see the first exit of 2,000 troops. And by 2012...all but 2,000 US troops will be gone from South Korea (my bet).
The 2,000 will be strictly intelligence-gathers and support personnel only. Whether or not this works...is the question. Even I have trouble with this scenario, but I don’t see us putting cash into the defense of South Korea beyond 2012. The mission there is finished.
Allowing trade with N. Korea sends a terrible message to the suffering people there.
Bolton has said that this whole nuke plant closing thing is a farce. And he’s not the only one. They’re just dismantling an old facility while keeping the newer subterranean ones.
I hope this article is bogus.
Have you considered that maybe by allowing trade with North Korea that we will help the suffering people over there not suffer anymore?
And then when they don’t have to worry about where there next meal is coming from they can concentrate on other things, like maybe getting rid of the guy in power that put them in that predicament in the first place.
Surprise Surprise! I can’t believe those words come from a Freeper, supporting normalization with the “Axis og Evil”. We call that “traitor of America”. The dirty money will only be in the hands of the beuracrats, the previous humanitarian aides denied to the people prove that.
Syria supporting NK off the terror sponsering state list? ping
“Have you considered that maybe by allowing trade with North Korea that we will help the suffering people over there not suffer anymore?”
That’s State Dept think.
You think supporting Kim Jung Il’s regime is going to make N. Korea any different than Iran? Every penny that goes into N. Korea goes right into the government’s (Kim Jung Il’s) pocket to strengthen the government and the military. We’ve seen this fail a hundred times. All we’ll be doing is rescuing Kim Jung Il.
What the suffering people see is the world legitimizing and supporting a dictator.
So that shipment to Syria was nothing?
Just a friendly mistake, huh?
I’m looking forward to Jan 21, 2009.
Please keep us informed on this development.
I hope this is just a rumor.
Many here in Japan (except the usual liberals/socialists) are very skeptical if not some downright apopleptic. This has been a news item for a new weeks here as well as analysis. We are doing lots of damage to our credibility in the region, IMHO, and alienating some of our close friends here in Asia, all for some perverted sense of State Department "legacy" conveniently engineered for the Commander in Chief and Condi Rice. It is sick.
Bolton sure is correct on this, he knows a rotten deal when he sees one.
I have watched the North Korean diplomats on TV over the months, and with each month, their comments, tone, demeanor, choice of words, even stride, has become strident and bold. Our guys, on the other hand, look like a bunch of striped pants sissy boys pathetically currying favor with the bully on the block so as to keep peace in the neighborhood.
I guess this is what the Washpost, LA and NY Times would point out as an example where Bush and Condi "have grown".
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