SEOUL, FEBRUARY 10: North Korea declared on Thursday, for the first time, it possessed nuclear weapons and pulled out indefinitely from six-party talks on its atomic ambitions, saying it needed a defence against a hostile US.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice played down the announcement, saying US had assumed, since the mid-1990s, that North Korea could make nuclear weapons. But she said it would only deepen its own isolation, and forego international security guarantees if it pulled out of six-party talks on its nuclear programme.
The article contains a lot of international reactions. Japan downplays it as well. It isn’t like this is anything new. What I said on Daniel Drezner’s blog (who, by the way, rounded up a lot of links and information on this):
Culturally speaking, this is very typical of eastern governments. Wait, delay, and yawn. The more they can postpone, the more time they have to make their own moves (especially since the other five powers are keen on talks).
The same goes for Iran. Giving them financial concessions will only help them, and while you’re talking it out nicely, they’re getting ready to arm a nuclear warhead.
Also, Tim Schmoyer has a huge roundup of information and commentary. Check that out for sure.
One response to “NORTH KOREA ADMITS TO NUKES, PULLS OUT OF TALKS”