Friday, August 29, 2003

WELL THAT WAS FUN; One summary of the recently wrapped-up six-party talks:
Reuters (Paul Eckert and Jonathan Ansfield, "NORTH KOREA CRISIS TALKS END, NEW ROUND PLANNED," Beijing, 08/29/03) and Agence France-Presse ("TALKS END IN ACRIMONY AS NORTH KOREA THREATENS TO BUILD UP NUCLEAR ARSENAL," 08/29/03) reported that six-nation talks on the DPRK nuclear crisis ended in acrimony with North Korea threatening to strengthen its nuclear arsenal unless the US met its demands for a resolution of the standoff. While envoys reached consensus on the need to address the DPRK's security concerns and agreed that more talks were necessary, they failed to set a timetable. The DPRK said its expectations at the three-day talks also involving the PRC, Japan, Russia and the ROK had been "betrayed" by the "hostile" US policy and that a new round of negotiations was endangered. "If our reasonable proposal is turned aside at the talks, we will judge that the US does not intend to give up its attempt to stifle the DPRK by
force at an appropriate time," said a statement carried by the DPRK's official KCNA mouthpiece as talks wound up. "In this case the DPRK cannot dismantle its nuclear deterrent force but will have no option but to increase it."

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