Special to World Tribune.com
EAST-ASIA-INTEL.COM
Wednesday, October 20, 2004
North Korea has put off further negotiations on its nuclear program with five other nations until after the Nov. 2 U.S. presidential elections, intelligence officials say.
The North Koreans believe they will have an easier time negotiating with a new administration headed by Sen. John F. Kerry, who has said publicly he would begin direct U.S.-North Korea talks if elected president. The Bush administration has rejected bilateral talks with Pyongyang, based on North Korea's violation of the 1994 Agreed Framework, which was a product of similar one-on-one talks. (Bush is holding out for six party talks since NK violated their agreements made in previous one-on-one talk. JohnKSa)
The possibility of holding another round of the six-party talks this month had been discussed at the urging of U.S., Chinese and South Korean officials.
Secretary of State Colin Powell is traveling to Asia this week where he will tell China to use its influence on North Korea to prevent Pyongyang from conducting any provocative actions prior to the Nov. 2 elections. There are concerns that North Korean may conduct a missile flight test or some type of military activity to try to affect the outcome of the elections.
However, North Korea's communist government rejected any further talks with the Bush administration, asserting that the administration has adopted "hostile" policy positions toward North Korea.
Intelligence officials were worried recently that North Korea was preparing to conduct a missile flight test in violation of its self-imposed testing moratorium.
However, the preparations appeared to be part of a North Korean effort to test U.S. sensors.
Two U.S. Aegis-equipped destroyers have begun patrolling waters near North Korea as part of a new missile defense system being developed by the United States.
