Posted on 01/23/2008 5:10:56 PM PST by TigerLikesRooster
US says North Korea will remain on terror list
Date : 24 January 2008 0106 hrs (SST)
WASHINGTON : The United States warned on Wednesday that North Korea will stay on the US list of state sponsors of terrorism until it fully discloses its nuclear activities, as promised.
"The ball is in North Korea's court right now," White House spokeswoman Dana Perino told reporters. "I would say it's definitely not imminent. We need to have that declaration before we can talk about any next steps."
Perino's comments clashed with remarks on Tuesday by the US State Department's counter-terrorism coordinator - the second high-profile repudiation, in less than one week, of a top US official's assessment of policy towards Pyongyang.
"It sounds like a lot of people don't know what the hell they're talking about," a State Department official said on condition of anonymity, answering questions about diplomatic disarray with: "No, it means people like to talk."
The State Department's coordinator for counter-terrorism, Dell Dailey, had told reporters on Tuesday that North Korea appeared to have met the requirements for being taken off the list, the Washington Post reported.
"You go back six months, you see if there's been any visible support or material support. We don't see that with North Korea. You also ask them to give an affirmation that they will not do things in the future," Dailey reportedly said. "It appears that North Korea has complied with those criteria."
"I don't know what the hell Dell was talking about. That's my simple answer," the anonymous State Department official said.
"He's one of 27 actors who would have a say in that. Maybe his personal, professional opinion is that North Korea has met those standards. I can assure you that is not the US government view," the official added.
Pyongyang was due to disable and fully disclose its nuclear programmes by December 31 as part of a February 2007 deal reached through six-country talks grouping China, Japan, North and South Korea, Russia and the United States.
In response, Washington and its diplomatic partners were to supply one million tonnes of fuel oil or equivalent energy aid and take steps to bring the Stalinist regime into the international community.
The United States was also to start the process of removing the North from its terrorism list, which blocks access to bilateral economic aid and loans from international financial institutions.
"The agreement that we made with them is that there would be actions for actions," said Perino. "Therefore, there's not any movement on any of the other parts of the agreement."
Removing North Korea, added to the list after the 1987 bombing of a Korean Air Lines flight, is premature "to say the least," she said.
The US State Department, which also includes Cuba, Iran, Sudan, and Syria on the list, says that North Korea is not known to have sponsored any terrorist acts since the 1987 bombing.
But Japanese officials and groups have urged Washington not to take Pyongyang off the list until it provides a full accounting of abductions of Japanese citizens, purportedly to train its spies.
The apparent repudiation of Dailey's comments came after the White House and US State Department on Friday tamped down an unprecedented public insurrection on North Korea policy, repudiating a US envoy's criticisms of China and South Korea and reaffirming its six-country diplomatic strategy.
The broadside had come from US President George W. Bush's special North Korea envoy for human rights, Jay Lefkowitz, who also called for a policy overhaul.
Pyongyang media in recent days has criticised Washington for failing to start the quid-pro-quo process.
On Wednesday, a pro-Pyongyang newspaper said North Korea was willing to become nuclear-free if the United States honoured its commitments in return. - AFP/de
Is the diplomatic adventure of Condi and Chris nearing its end?
Ping!
Let’s hope so. The state department is a bottomless pit. I think Satan may live down there. Everything coming out of it, sure stinks like it.
How about that peace initiative folks? What a gem...
One thing is sure. “It SURE smells like SULPHUR” over there in Northwest D.C.!
President Bush has retired. This is one of the factional struggles resulting from no one being in charge. Bush will act only when there is a bureaucratic consensus that the government act in a particular fashion, and he is needed to formally ratify their decision.
Those two sides have been at it for seven years. For the first six of the seven years, the white hats won (Bolton types) but now they are completely on the ropes by the Condi/State Faggot appeasing types. Nowever, there is a return to common sense it seems. The Japanese news today analyzed the situation as such over in State and within the White House. They said all kinds of people are saying all kinds of contradictory things and it is hard to know WHO is in control over the US North Korean policy. Pyongyang must be watching with amusement.
Over in Pyongyang, only ONE FACTION is in control. The "roll the stupid Westerners at every twist and turn in the road" faction.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.