Post by snizz on Oct 26, 2004 16:43:47 GMT -5
US Seeks Seoul Help on N.Korea After Border Scare
By Saul Hudson and Kim Kyoung-wha
October 25, 2004
SEOUL (Reuters) - Secretary of State Colin Powell sought South Korea's support on Tuesday for a U.S. hard line on Pyongyang's nuclear programs as Seoul stepped up security along its border with North Korea due to a suspected infiltration.
On the final leg of a trip to North Asia to revive six-party negotiations on scrapping North Korea's arms programs, Powell is under pressure to give more concessions to entice the reclusive state back to nuclear arms talks.
The top U.S. diplomat has won pledges from Japan and China to press North Korea to return to talks for the first time since June, and was expected to secure Seoul's help too after meeting President Roh Moo-hyun and other top officials.
He appeared optimistic in talks with South Korean Unification Minister Chong Dong-young that the stalled six-party meetings involving the two Koreas, the United States, Japan, Russia and China would resume after the Nov. 2 U.S. presidential election.
"If North Korea comes to the table, it will be able to get a lot of things," a spokesman for Chong quoted Powell as saying.
Washington suspects Pyongyang is holding back in the hope Democratic Candidate John Kerry will win and open bilateral talks that might lead to more U.S. concessions.
"I expect the six party talks to resume after the U.S. presidential election," the spokesman quoted Unification Minister Chong as telling Powell.
Powell's diplomacy came against the backdrop of increased tension on the world's most heavily fortified frontier after South Korea said it found a hole cut in a barbed wire border fence that may indicate North Korean agents have slipped across.
In response, Seoul's military beefed up security.
The United States believes North Korea has a small number of nuclear weapons and Pyongyang warned during Powell's trip that it could double its "deterrent."
That threat and Tuesday's infiltration scare are chilling for South Korea, whose cities are in range of its poor, unpredictable neighbor's missiles.
Powell, who thanked Roh for supplying troops to Iraq, also sought to ease the concern of the U.S. military ally over Pentagon plans to reduce its force on the border.
Washington will compensate by using more sophisticated weaponry to confront the North Korean threat as it redeploys troops around the world to better face militant groups, Powell says.
DANGEROUS DEADLOCK
On his first trip to the region in 18 months, Powell has come under particular pressure from China to create an opening after he rejected North Korea's conditions for returning to the stalled talks and left the two countries deadlocked.
South Korea persuaded Washington in June to allow an offer to North Korea of aid incentives to break the impasse.
But the superpower refuses to yield more ground.
Powell wants his negotiating partners, particularly China, to exert their influence on the communist leadership to hold a fourth round of talks after Pyongyang blocked a planned September session.
Washington has backed Powell's diplomacy with a military message.
On Tuesday, it led Asia's first naval exercise to clamp down on the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, a drill that is mainly targeted at North Korea. Pyongyang has called the maneuvers hostile and provocative.
A U.S. hardline official, who would prefer to confront and isolate North Korea, said he doubted Powell's Asian trip would lead to a new six-party round.
North Korea will wait for a Kerry victory or, if President Bush retains power, stall to see if Powell, a talks advocate, leaves office, said the official, who asked to remain anonymous.
"Perhaps they (the Chinese) will succeed in bribing them again," he said. "But I have seen nothing concrete from (North Korea) suggesting in any way that they will come back to the table."
By Saul Hudson and Kim Kyoung-wha
October 25, 2004
SEOUL (Reuters) - Secretary of State Colin Powell sought South Korea's support on Tuesday for a U.S. hard line on Pyongyang's nuclear programs as Seoul stepped up security along its border with North Korea due to a suspected infiltration.
On the final leg of a trip to North Asia to revive six-party negotiations on scrapping North Korea's arms programs, Powell is under pressure to give more concessions to entice the reclusive state back to nuclear arms talks.
The top U.S. diplomat has won pledges from Japan and China to press North Korea to return to talks for the first time since June, and was expected to secure Seoul's help too after meeting President Roh Moo-hyun and other top officials.
He appeared optimistic in talks with South Korean Unification Minister Chong Dong-young that the stalled six-party meetings involving the two Koreas, the United States, Japan, Russia and China would resume after the Nov. 2 U.S. presidential election.
"If North Korea comes to the table, it will be able to get a lot of things," a spokesman for Chong quoted Powell as saying.
Washington suspects Pyongyang is holding back in the hope Democratic Candidate John Kerry will win and open bilateral talks that might lead to more U.S. concessions.
"I expect the six party talks to resume after the U.S. presidential election," the spokesman quoted Unification Minister Chong as telling Powell.
Powell's diplomacy came against the backdrop of increased tension on the world's most heavily fortified frontier after South Korea said it found a hole cut in a barbed wire border fence that may indicate North Korean agents have slipped across.
In response, Seoul's military beefed up security.
The United States believes North Korea has a small number of nuclear weapons and Pyongyang warned during Powell's trip that it could double its "deterrent."
That threat and Tuesday's infiltration scare are chilling for South Korea, whose cities are in range of its poor, unpredictable neighbor's missiles.
Powell, who thanked Roh for supplying troops to Iraq, also sought to ease the concern of the U.S. military ally over Pentagon plans to reduce its force on the border.
Washington will compensate by using more sophisticated weaponry to confront the North Korean threat as it redeploys troops around the world to better face militant groups, Powell says.
DANGEROUS DEADLOCK
On his first trip to the region in 18 months, Powell has come under particular pressure from China to create an opening after he rejected North Korea's conditions for returning to the stalled talks and left the two countries deadlocked.
South Korea persuaded Washington in June to allow an offer to North Korea of aid incentives to break the impasse.
But the superpower refuses to yield more ground.
Powell wants his negotiating partners, particularly China, to exert their influence on the communist leadership to hold a fourth round of talks after Pyongyang blocked a planned September session.
Washington has backed Powell's diplomacy with a military message.
On Tuesday, it led Asia's first naval exercise to clamp down on the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, a drill that is mainly targeted at North Korea. Pyongyang has called the maneuvers hostile and provocative.
A U.S. hardline official, who would prefer to confront and isolate North Korea, said he doubted Powell's Asian trip would lead to a new six-party round.
North Korea will wait for a Kerry victory or, if President Bush retains power, stall to see if Powell, a talks advocate, leaves office, said the official, who asked to remain anonymous.
"Perhaps they (the Chinese) will succeed in bribing them again," he said. "But I have seen nothing concrete from (North Korea) suggesting in any way that they will come back to the table."
"Washington has backed Powell's diplomacy with a military message." 
This sounds like another Bush disaster on the brink of happening. 