North Korea Agrees to End Nuclear Programs
Monday, September 19, 2005
(SNN Washington) Today, North Korea agreed to stop building nuclear arms. The also agreed to allow international inspections and shutdown their largest reactor.
The talks include China, Japan, Russia, the United States and the two Koreas.
The talks, which began in August 2003, include China, Japan, Russia, the United States and the two Koreas. The negotiations had been deadlocked over North Korea's demand to keep the right to civilian nuclear programs after it disarms.
The chief U.S. envoy to the talks praised the breakthrough as a "good agreement", and urged Pyongyang to make good on its promises. However, Assistant Secretary of State, Christopher Hill remains cautious. "We have to see what comes in the days and weeks ahead," he said.
The Bush administration has again and again said that they would not simply bribe North Korea
Part of the reason these talks have lasted so long is due to the identification of North Korea as part of the axis of evil, and the abandonment of the tactics of the Clinton administration. The Bush administration has again and again said that they would not simply bribe North Korea with economic resources, as the Clinton Administration did. Under this new agreement, North Korea will receive energy aid, economic cooperation and security assurances. This is in addition to the large grain shipments given to them early this year just come back to the table.
While the United States agreed to keep nuclear armaments from the Korean Peninsula, the threat of nuclear capable pirates remains very real. A spokesman from the Southeast Asian pirate community, Yardarm Yan, said, "We appreciate t' Actions o' t' Unites States and North Korea, we still reserve our starboard t' sail our six pounder through t' Sea o' Japan." He then asked if the members of the press would like to "scrape the barnacles off of me rudder".
Update 1:
After the deal was concluded Kim Jung Il asked to be given a new light water reactor, to show he was trusted. This has kicked off a new round of negotiations. This newest demand has concreted Kim's status as a prick.
