North Korea Vows to Drop Nuclear Program

North Korea Vows to Drop Nuclear Programs
Sep 19 12:51 AM US/Eastern


BEIJING


North Korea pledged to drop its nuclear weapons development and rejoin international arms treaties in a unanimous agreement Monday at six- party arms talks. The agreement was the first-ever joint statement after more than two years of negotiations.

The North "promised to drop all nuclear weapons and current nuclear programs and to get back to the (Nuclear) Nonproliferation Treaty as soon as possible and to accept inspections" by the International Atomic Energy Agency, according to the agreement by the six countries at the talks.

"All six parties emphasized that to realize the inspectable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula is the target of the six- party talks," the statement said.

The North and United States also pledged in the agreement to respect each other's sovereignty and right to peaceful coexistence.

"The United States affirmed that is has no nuclear weapons on the Korean Peninsula and has no intention to attack or invade (North Korea) with nuclear or conventional weapons," according to the statement, assurances echoed by South Korea.

The negotiations had been deadlocked over Pyongyang's demands that it retain the right to civilian nuclear programs after it disarms, and the statement acknowledges the North has made such an assertion but doesn't go beyond that.

North Korean officials had also demanded the country be given a light- water nuclear reactor at the latest talks _ a type believed to be less easily diverted for weapons use _ but Washington had said it and other countries at the talks wouldn't meet that request.

Putting aside the question for now, the joint statement said: "The other parties expressed their respect and agreed to discuss at an appropriate time the subject of the provision of light-water reactor" to North Korea.

"This is the most important result since the six-party talks started more than two years ago," said Wu Dawei, China's vice foreign minister.

The talks, which began in August 2003, include China, Japan, Russia, the United States and the two Koreas.


http://www.breitbart.com/news/2005/09/19/D8CN47KO0.html

I was going to post this too. Looks good, I think. Only time will tell. This is a live vote on MSNBC
web page
What is your view on the deal reached after six-party talks about North Korea's nuclear ambitions? * 5018 responses


Historic breakthrough
11%

Good first step, but more needed
41%

Not worth the paper it's written on
42%

Not sure
6%

Not a scientifically valid survey. Click to learn more.

[Cyrus]

The news is not unexpected. I have read the book by the Clinton guys and they made a lot of sense. Clinton was on the right track with the North Koreans. All Bush had to do was follow through and not f*ck it up.

Which he promptly did. As soon as he set foot in the White House he started the bellicose pronouncements. And if the communists are anything, it's paranoid.

Fortunately, the recent six-party talks, held not at the behest of Washington but after a lot of diplomatic effort by outsiders (and let's be glad that Iraq had pretty much exhausted Dubya's bankroll of foolishness), were a success.

Even Khadaffi shows more sense than Dubya these days. Did you read the story?

[Felix_Nietsche]

I'm not very optimistic about this.
If they fail to honor this treaty.........then there needs to be war to make sure that their govt never exists again.

[jokerthief]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm not very optimistic about this.
If they fail to honor this treaty.........then there needs to be war to make sure that their govt never exists again.

[/ QUOTE ]

So you want to institute a draft then?

[Hal 2000]

Why do I have a feeling Kim Jong Il is about to dick around with the inspectors for 12 years?

[Felix_Nietsche]

Your assuming a ground war..........

[BCPVP]

[ QUOTE ]
Clinton was on the right track with the North Koreans. All Bush had to do was follow through and not f*ck it up.

[/ QUOTE ]
Wait. You're telling me that within the span of 1 year (2001-2002) North Korea developed a clandestine nuclear program, but before that (during the rest of Clinton's term) everything was hunky-dory? Bull.

[jokerthief]

Get real man. NK can blanket SK with conventional weapons. They don't need nukes or ballistic missles. They have a [censored] load of artillery that would wipe SK off the map. We don't have one tenth the air and missle power needed to neutralize NK before they lay down armageddon on SK. The military option is off the table, it always was.

[masse75]

Isn't it pronounced "nucular?"