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| Korea |
| N. Korea Won’t Let Japan in Nuclear Talks |
| 2003-10-08 |
| SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - North Korea said Tuesday it will not allow Japan to participate in any future talks aimed at resolving a standoff over the North’s nuclear programs, saying Tokyo was not a trustworthy dialogue partner. Guess we won’t be there, either. Oh well. The North Korean statement complicates efforts by the United States and its allies to restart six-nation nuclear talks. Washington considers Japan’s participation in the talks crucial, saying North Korea’s nuclear programs threaten regional security. In August, the United States, China, Russia, the two Koreas and Japan held talks in Beijing aimed at addressing the North’s nuclear ambitions. Tokyo used the talks to raise another issue it considers pivotal - abductions of its citizens decades ago by the communist state. Upset the master plan, did they? On Tuesday, North Korea’s Foreign Ministry said it ``would not allow Japan to participate in any form of negotiations for the settlement of the nuclear issue in the future.’’ It was unclear whether the statement, carried by the North’s official news agency KCNA, meant North Korea could agree to a future meeting if Japan is excluded. Since the August meeting ended without plans for a next round, North Korea has said it is no longer interested in further talks. Hey Kim, watch what happens when I turn this dial -- see how the coordinates for your nuclear depot are updated? ``Japan is nothing but an obstacle to the peaceful settlement of the nuclear issue between the DPRK and the U.S.,’’ the North Korean statement said, using the acronym of the North’s official name, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. ``It has lost its qualification to be a trustworthy dialogue partner.’’ North Korea accused Japan of abusing the nuclear talks to raise the ``issue of abduction,’’ which the North says has already been settled. Um, not quite. In Tokyo, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement that if future talks are to occur, ``Japan’s participation is natural.’’ ``In accordance with the Pyongyang Declaration, the nuclear, missile and abduction issues must be resolved if Japan-North Korea normalization negotiations are to move forward,’’ it said. Time for the Japanese to kick up the research on theater missile defense another notch. Meanwhile on the Indonesian resort island of Bali, Japan, China and South Korea agreed to coordinate efforts to get North Korea to end its nuclear ambitions and reiterated that the dispute should be resolved peacefully. The agreement between Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao came on the sidelines of the annual summit of the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations. China, curb your dog. |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #5 National defense is the primary mission of a national government. The leaders of Japan have an obligation to the citizens of Japan to develop balistic missile defense and nuclear strike capabilities. They are working on the former and I would be surprised if they do not have a well developed secret program for the latter. A quick look US 2004 election campaign coverage indicates that they would be derilict in their duty to assume that the US nuclear umbrella would always extend to them. Israel figured this out a long time ago. |
| Posted by: JAB 2003-10-8 12:55:49 PM |
| #4 Can we let a random homeless person cover the meeting for the US. We need to do all we can to help get these folks off the streets. |
| Posted by: Superhose 2003-10-8 12:53:25 PM |
| #3 North Korea accused Japan of abusing the nuclear talks to raise the ``issue of abduction,’’ which the North says has already been settled. How dare the Japanese bring up the issue of NKor intel mugging random Japanese citizens off the street. And keeping them for 20 years for spy training. |
| Posted by: OminousWhatever 2003-10-8 11:47:23 AM |
| #2 I don't think the Jap constitution will allow projective force weapons, unfortunately. Some defensive mid-range retaliatory strike weapons, now... |
| Posted by: mojo 2003-10-8 11:35:37 AM |
| #1 I think it's about time Japan built and launched a truly intercontinental ballistic missile, complete with MIRVed dummy warheads. I'm sure that would get the attention of both China and Russia, and bring some really HEAVY pressure to bear on Pyongyang. Heck, little Kimmie might even stain his pants if Japan did that, combined with beginning their own nuclear weapons program "in response to Pyongyang's provocation". Sometimes you have to fight fire with fire, other times you have to fight abject stupidity with brute force. |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2003-10-8 11:01:06 AM |