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China-Japan-Koreas
Obama Keeps Norks Off Terror List
2010-02-07
Continuing one of George Bush's bigger mistakes.
U.S. President Barack Obama on Wednesday confirmed that North Korea would remain off the U.S. list of states sponsoring terrorism. In a letter to Democratic leaders on Capitol Hill, he said that the U.S. administration prepared a classified report on the conduct of North Korea between June 26, 2008 and Nov. 16, 2009, which concludes that it "does not meet the statutory criteria to again be designated as a state sponsor of terrorism."

Obama implies that there is no evidence to prove that the North's recent activities were related to international terrorism. Despite calls from some officials for the Stalinist state to be put back on the list for political reasons, the administration apparently decided that such a move could spark international controversy.

The U.S. reviewed the possibility of putting Pyongyang back on the blacklist with congressional approval last year. Some congressmen, including Republican Senator Sam Brownback, urged the administration to put the North back on the list last year when it declared the Sept. 19, 2005 denuclearization agreement null and void, fired a long-range missile, and conducted a nuclear test.

The George W. Bush administration took Pyongyang off the list of state sponsors of terrorism in 2008, when it appeared to be cooperating in denuclearization efforts.
Posted by:Steve White

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