posted
By BARRY SCHWEID, AP Diplomatic Writer 2 hours, 20 minutes ago
WASHINGTON - Congressional Democrats, demanding a bold new approach to end a diplomatic standoff, urged the Bush administration on Wednesday to send the top U.S. negotiator to North Korea and press for an end to its nuclear weapons program.
Such a mission by Christopher Hill would demonstrate "our peaceful intent," said California Rep. Tom Lantos, the top Democrat on the House International Relations Committee. Panel members quizzed Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns about the so-far futile effort to halt North Korea's nuclear weapons and missiles programs.
Talks involving the U.S., North Korea, South Korea, China, Japan and Russia are expected to resume next month after a suspension of more than a year. Burns said it was not possible yet to announce a precise date.
The U.S. has held sporadic, occasional talks with North Korea in New York and in Beijing. But the administration insists on a six-nation negotiations format in an effort to intensify pressure on the insular communist government.
"The North Korean problem is a regional problem," Burns said. "It poses a threat to all of its neighbors."
But Lantos, the prospective new chairman of the committee when the Democrats take control of Congress in January, said, "the administration's refusal to permit visits (by U.S. diplomats) to North Korea must end and must end now."
Supported by several Democrats on the committee and one Republican, Rep. Jim Leach of Iowa, Lantos said, "The White House must try a new and bold approach to the vexing North Korean problem."
"I don't understand why it is in the United States' interest to keep them isolated," Leach said.
On the Democratic side, Rep. Brad Sherman of California proposed that the United States offer North Korea a nonaggression pact as part of a deal in which the North Koreans permanently and verifiably give up their nuclear weapons.
Rep. Gary Ackerman, D-N.Y., accused the administration of "dithering" and said the U.S. was placing too much reliance on China to stop North Korea's programs. China played a leading diplomatic role in persuading North Korea to end its boycott of negotiations.
GOP Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Florida cautioned against concessions or any acts of "appeasement."
posted
Yikes! Sorry Wrong board. Moderators Please Move this to Off-Topic or Delete it Thank You.
-------------------- One is never completely useless. One can always serve as a bad example. Posts: 2430 | From: CA | Registered: Jun 2005
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quote:Originally posted by Gordon Bennett: Good on the Dems! Cooler heads prevail.
LOL...
The first line is my favorite.
quote:Congressional Democrats, demanding a bold new approach to end a diplomatic standoff, urged the Bush administration on Wednesday to send the top U.S. negotiator to North Korea and press for an end to its nuclear weapons program.
Please Gordo, explain to me what is new and bold about "talking" with North Korea....
We tried this route already remember? Kim Jong's "word" CANNOT be trusted.
Why on Earth would we still want to talk to Kim Jong about not building nukes? He has already built them!
He has built them and tested them and IMO the Dems are all fools if they think there is anything we could possibly give him that would make him give them up.
Posts: 2430 | From: CA | Registered: Jun 2005
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posted
That is not the point Gordo... Tell me what good will come of repeating the same mistake over and over again?
Tell me how this is "bold and new"?
-------------------- One is never completely useless. One can always serve as a bad example. Posts: 2430 | From: CA | Registered: Jun 2005
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posted
Maybe, but it will be the same with the Dems if they think they can "talk Kim Jong down".....
-------------------- One is never completely useless. One can always serve as a bad example. Posts: 2430 | From: CA | Registered: Jun 2005
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posted
whats the point...in 20 years every country will be armed with wmd's and nukes....
speaking of nucleur materials..today in the senate they spent a huge amount of time disscusing then voting on whether or not the president should export nuclear materials to INDIA....unbelievable....it got denied by majority...im no legislative guru or anything but from my POV it looked to me like an ubelievable waste of legislative time...
Posts: 3086 | From: miami | Registered: Nov 2005
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