North Korea says standoff with US at "brink of nuclear war"

Channel News Asia ^ | 09 April 2004 | AFP

[yonif]

SEOUL : North Korea said Friday the standoff over its atomic ambitions was on the brink of nuclear war as US Vice President Dick Cheney headed to the region for talks with key Asian allies.

The Stalinist state's official news agency accused Washington of "driving the military situation on the Korean peninsula to the brink of a nuclear war" with plans for a pre-emptive strike on North Korea.

Cheney is expected in Tokyo on Saturday on the first leg of an Asian tour that also takes him to China and South Korea.

North Korea described six-party talks held in Beijing in February as "fruitless," their harshest assessment so far of the meeting that brought together the two Koreas, China, Japan, Russia and the United States.

"The US demand that the DPRK (North Korea) scrap its nuclear programme first is the main obstacle in the way of solving the nuclear issue between the DPRK and the US," the Korean Central News Agency said in a commentary.

"It is a well-known fact that the second round of the six-way talks held in Beijing last February proved fruitless due to the US demand that the DPRK dismantle its nuclear program first."

Washington is demanding the complete, verifiable, and irreversible dismantling of North Korea's nuclear prorgammes, both plutonium and enriched uranium schemes, before it will offer concessions to the impoverished state.

Pyongyang denies having a uranium programme and has said it will freeze its plutonium weapons programme in return for simultaneous rewards from Washington.

A new round of six-party talks is expected before the end of June while working parties are supposed to be set up to resolve address contentious issues.

South Korea's foreign ministry said all participating countries were ready for working level talks apart from North korea, which has yet to give the go ahead.

In the commentary the North Korean news agency said Pyongyang had no choice but to boost its nuclear weapons drive in the face of US intransigence and its "moves to put the strategy of pre-emptive nuclear attack into practice."

Cheney's trip to Asia has been overshadowed by the deteriorating security situation in Iraq where insurgents are threatening to kill three Japanese hostages unless Tokyo pulls out troops from the war-torn region.

Seven South Koreans were released earlier Friday after also falling into the hands of insurgents.

[cripplecreek]

Sounds to me like NK wants some attention.

[MEG33]

North Korea isn't getting enough press lately,I see.

[angkor]

How much $ this time?

[freebilly]

Yawn........

[Numbers Guy]

Sounds to me like NK wants some attention

Just what I was going to post. Kim Jong Il is an emotional 6-year-old. Screaming in hopes of getting attention. The Clinton Administration responded by asking the child what was wrong and taking care of his every need. All that did was engender more tantrums and threats. The Bush Administration, like a wise parent, ignores the tantrums, so there's no reward for bad behavior.

[hillaryisalesbo]

And a collective international yawn escapes the US, Japan and S. Korea.

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[First_Salute]

Bump.

[BenLurkin]

They better be careful what they wish for.

[TheBigB]

Dear Kim...

We're kinda busy droppin' the sh*t-hammer on Saddam's boys right now, but just wait your turn, and we'll get to you before too long. Better start diggin' that spider-hole now.

Hugz, George

[theDentist]

Saber-rattling and threatening nukes against the US (and particularly this President) is not the most brilliant move.

[smith288]

bah...wy don't we just call for Armageddon and get it all over with...

[NJ_gent]

"We're kinda busy droppin' the sh*t-hammer on Saddam's boys right now"

Which is exactly why they're doing this. My main concern is that they'll finish and test the TPD3 nuclear capable missiles before we can get around to taking care of them. Those missiles could hit anywhere in the US (assuming they work), and would be fired against an as-yet untested missile defense system. There's a lot of 'ifs' in there, but we're not talking about a kid with firecrackers - we're talking about a suicidal nutcase with a nuclear capability (assuming the CIA is correct).

[mtbopfuyn]

I'd all but forgotten North Korea even existed. Thanks, Kim, for reminding me.

[Liberty Valance]

Note to Li'l Kim's babysitter - you forgot to change his diaper again. What a pantload.

[mabelkitty]

Blah, blah, blah, look at me, blah, blah, blah.

I think Japan can take care of them.

[sport]

Send jimmy carter back.

Only this time make sure that he is at ground zero.

[aShepard]

OKey DOkey
You go first!

[TexasCajun]

So, If President Bush knew N.Korea threatened nuclear war upon the United States, the 'Rats would support him in stopping the announced threat(by any means)because the 'Rats on the 911 commission complain President Bush didn't attack Afghanistan prior to 911. Surely the 'Rats would support President Bush if he warmed up N.Korea?