NORTH KOREA AND U.S. BREAK NUCLEAR IMPASSE
Norimitsu Onishi and Helene Cooper
International Herald Tribune, June 26, 2008
TOKYO: North Korea submitted a long-delayed declaration of its nuclear program on Thursday, and the Bush administration immediately responded by saying it would remove the country it once described as part of the "axis of evil" from the State Department's list of state sponsors of terrorism.
The declaration was believed to provide a partial, though important, view of North Korea's nuclear capability, and it marked a significant step forward in a multinational effort to end the country's drive to build nuclear weapons.
China, which has hosted the six-nation talks on the North's nuclear program, said Thursday afternoon that the North would abide by the Thursday deadline to submit its declaration. But an hour later, South Korea, another participant, said the North had already handed the declaration to China.
Whatever the source of the confusion, the White House announced shortly afterward that it would remove North Korea from the terrorism list and thus make it eligible for aid and assistance, a goal long sought by the cash-starved country.
The North was scheduled to follow up on Friday by blowing up a cooling tower at its Yongbyon reactor, about 95 kilometers, or 60 miles, north of Pyongyang.
Pyongyang has invited officials and television networks from the five nations negotiating with the North on its nuclear program - the United States, China, Japan, South Korea and Russia - to witness the demolition of the tower. But the destruction, which is expected to be broadcast live, will be largely symbolic, since the reactor was disabled late last year under U.S. supervision.
Norimitsu Onishi and Helene Cooper
International Herald Tribune, June 26, 2008
TOKYO: North Korea submitted a long-delayed declaration of its nuclear program on Thursday, and the Bush administration immediately responded by saying it would remove the country it once described as part of the "axis of evil" from the State Department's list of state sponsors of terrorism.
The declaration was believed to provide a partial, though important, view of North Korea's nuclear capability, and it marked a significant step forward in a multinational effort to end the country's drive to build nuclear weapons.
China, which has hosted the six-nation talks on the North's nuclear program, said Thursday afternoon that the North would abide by the Thursday deadline to submit its declaration. But an hour later, South Korea, another participant, said the North had already handed the declaration to China.
Whatever the source of the confusion, the White House announced shortly afterward that it would remove North Korea from the terrorism list and thus make it eligible for aid and assistance, a goal long sought by the cash-starved country.
The North was scheduled to follow up on Friday by blowing up a cooling tower at its Yongbyon reactor, about 95 kilometers, or 60 miles, north of Pyongyang.
Pyongyang has invited officials and television networks from the five nations negotiating with the North on its nuclear program - the United States, China, Japan, South Korea and Russia - to witness the demolition of the tower. But the destruction, which is expected to be broadcast live, will be largely symbolic, since the reactor was disabled late last year under U.S. supervision.
(...) [artículo aquí]
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