U.S. Official Blasts North Korea

The Bush administration’s envoy on human rights in North Korea yesterday questioned the Stalinist state’s willingness to give up its nuclear arsenal, the Associated Press reported (see GSN, Jan. 17).

Pyongyang is likely to “remain in its present nuclear status” when the next U.S. administration takes enters the White House, said Jay Lefkowitz.

“North Korea is not serious about disarming in a timely manner,” he said at the conservative American Enterprise Institute, noting a recent escalation of “bellicose language” and the missed Dec. 31 deadline to declare and disable its nuclear progams.

“We should consider a new approach to North Korea,” Lefkowitz added.

When asked whether his views represented those within the White House, Lefkowitz said U.S. policies “are under review right now” (Foster Klug, Associated Press/Washington Post, Jan. 18).

Lefkowitz also took aim at some of Washington’s partners in the six-nation negotiations intended to resolve the standoff over North Korea’s nuclear program, Agence France-Presse reported.

“Because the Chinese and South Korean governments have been unwilling to apply significant pressure on Pyongyang, recent talks have, in actuality, become a bilateral negotiation between the U.S. and North Korea,” he said.

The negotiations also involve Japan and Russia (Agence France-Presse I/Spacewar.com, Jan. 17).

Asked about his comments, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said the administration continues to support the multilateral negotiations.

“While it's unfortunate that North Korea has not yet provided a complete and correct declaration, we continue to work with Japan, South Korea, China and Russia in urging North Korea to fulfill its commitments in this regard.  We believe the six-party framework gives the region and the world the best opportunity to realize the goal of a denuclearized Korean Peninsula,” she said (Agence France-Presse II/Spacewar.com, Jan. 18).

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