Steve Quayle News Alerts

January 7, 2003

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- With international pressure mounting against Pyongyang's decision to resume its nuclear program, North Korea said Tuesday that economic sanctions against it would amount to an act of war.

The hard-line message came as the United States, South Korea and Japan prepared for a second day of talks in Washington on how to deal with North Korea, which kicked out nuclear inspectors last week after announcing it had resumed a nuclear weapons program in breach of previous agreements.

"Sanctions mean a war and the war knows no mercy," read an editorial on the official Korea Central News Agency.

"The U.S. should opt for dialogue with the DPRK [Democratic People's Republic of Korea], not for war, clearly aware that it will have to pay a very high price for such reckless acts."

The International Atomic Energy Agency on Monday gave North Korea "one more chance" to readmit weapons inspectors before referring the matter to the U.N. Security Council.

Mohamed ElBaradei, IAEA director general, said Tuesday that North Korea could face "serious consequences, not unlike Iraq" if it continues to defy the world community on its nuclear weapons program.

"They have a choice," ElBaradei said. "Either to continue the policy of defiance and then continue to be further isolated and possibly subject to coercive measures, or come around and then open doors for the international community.

"They have a lot of light at the end of the tunnel if they behave. If not, then they will have to face serious consequences," he said.

President Bush, meanwhile, sought to reassure the communist nation's leader, Kim Jong Il, that the United States has "no intention of invading North Korea."

"I believe this will be resolved peacefully, and I believe it can be resolved diplomatically," Bush told reporters Monday after a Cabinet meeting.

He said he believes the United States "will have dialogue" again with North Korea but noted, "We expect people to honor obligations.

"For Kim Jong Il to be a credible member of the world community, he's got to understand that he's got to do what he said he's going to do," Bush said, referring to a 1994 agreement in which Pyongyang agreed to abandon its nuclear weapons program in return for aid from the three nations meeting in Washington.

"We expect North Korea to adhere to her obligations."

The Korea Central News Agency editorial condemned what it called Washington's attempt to isolate and oppress the communist regime.

"Certain circles in the United States continue to address the nonexisting problem of North Korea's nuclear problem and continue to expand attempts to oppress the North with such talk like 'tailored containment,'" the editorial said.

"If they think they can attain their criminal goals of trying to take over Korea through such actions, they are making a stupid mistake."

On Monday, North Korea accused the United States of planning an attack.

"The Bush bellicose forces are starting the deployment of the MD [missile defense] to take military sanctions and strike against the [Democratic People's Republic of Korea]," the Korea Central News Agency said.

Talks 'constructive'

In Washington, officials called the first day of the trilateral talks constructive and cooperative, but Bush administration officials played down the possibility of a breakthrough.

The IAEA's ElBaradei says North Korea will face serious consequences if it does not bow to international pressure.

One senior State Department official told CNN that U.S., Japanese and South Korean officials explored whether U.S. security guarantees to the North Korean regime would be "useful" in ending the impasse.

The official said all three countries agreed that North Korea must end its nuclear program before the United States or any country can take further steps with Pyongyang.

South Korea had been expected to present a compromise proposal calling for the United States to sign a nonaggression pact with the North in exchange for Pyongyang halting its nuclear weapons program.

But the senior State Department official said the United States would not sign such a "pact" with North Korea because Washington is not willing to give anything to Pyongyang before it abandons its nuclear program.

The "issue is not whether we are aggressive or not," the official said. "The issue is whether North Korea is going to dismantle" its nuclear program.

"If they do, anything is possible," the official said.

http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/01/07/korea.talks/index.html