N. Korea's Message to US - Glenn Kessler, Washington Post

N. Korea's Message to US - Glenn Kessler, Washington Post

Just days before North Korea delivered to China last week its long-awaited declaration on its plutonium-based nuclear programs, Pyongyang privately acknowledged the United States' long-standing concerns about alleged uranium-enrichment activities and possible proliferation to Syria, US and Asian officials said yesterday. US officials have made only cryptic references to Pyongyang's private message to Washington, in part because it represents a significant scaling back of the administration's goals and ambitions for North Korea's declaration.

Could N. Korea Still Make Nukes? - Peter Grier, Christian Science Monitor

North Korea's destruction last week of the cooling tower at its Yongbyon nuclear facility was a spectacular piece of geopolitical theater. But as the concrete crumbled, did Pyongyang's ability to produce plutonium really crumble as well? The tower's fall largely was symbolic, say experts. In addition, North Korea has yet to take some of the most important steps in its planned nuclear disablement. But North Korean officials have completed perhaps two-thirds of their disablement actions. While they technically could still resume plutonium production, the effort, expense, and time involved might make such a move prohibitively difficult.

Pyongyang's 'To Do' List - Los Angeles Times editorial

Negotiations with North Korea are not for those who require instant gratification. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill, the ever-patient chief US negotiator, has compared it to "watching turtles race." Even as there is progress to celebrate, the list of vital issues still to be resolved with Pyongyang gets longer. But what has actually been accomplished through the six-party talks? A year ago, North Korea had a factory churning out weapons-grade plutonium for nuclear warheads. The Yongbyon plant was shut down in July, and this time it hasn't been mothballed. It's being disabled. In three highly symbolic gestures, Pyongyang made a formal declaration of its nuclear activities, the United States promised to remove North Korea from its list of state sponsors of terrorism, and the North Koreans actually blew up the cooling tower of the plant with international TV cameras running. With most other countries, pulling off such a simple diplomatic transaction would be unremarkable. Given the bitter US history with North Korea, however, this is nothing short of historic.

Disarming North Korea - Baltimore Sun editorial

North Korea's long-awaited declaration detailing its nuclear activities, which it handed over last week in response to six-party disarmament talks with China, Russia, South Korea, Japan and the US, was thin gruel compared with what the Bush administration originally wanted. But it was better than nothing, which is what the administration probably would have gotten had it held to its previous policy of not talking. The North had agreed to a full accounting of its nuclear activities in return for food and energy assistance. Instead, the documents it turned over were maddeningly incomplete. They made no mention of Pyongyang's uranium enrichment program or its secret nuclear aid to Libya and Syria. Nor did they describe weapons North Korea has built.

Talking Isn't Appeasement - Wendy Sherman, Los Angeles Times opinion

This latest round of diplomatic dancing with North Korea should finally put to rest the hoariest of political cliches - that a willingness to talk with an enemy is appeasement. Last week, the Bush administration took North Korea off the US list of states sponsoring terrorism and lifted some sanctions after Pyongyang made an accounting of its nuclear program. Within a few days, North Korea also destroyed a nuclear plant cooling tower and loosened restrictions on food aid.