US Close To Taking N Korea Off Terror List, Say Reports

The United States is close to removing North Korea from its terrorism blacklist in the hope of saving a crumbling nuclear disarmament deal, according to reports Friday. Pyongyang, meanwhile, ramped up the pressure by barring UN inspectors from its nuclear complex and warning Seoul of possible naval clashes along their disputed sea border. The reports said Washington, which sent its chief negotiator Christopher Hill to Pyongyang last week, is nearing agreement with the hardline communist state on inspection procedures for its nuclear plants. The United States insists it must have agreement on verification before it can delist North Korea - which is preparing to restart its Yongbyon nuclear complex in protest at the delay. South Korea's Chosun Ilbo newspaper said both sides have now practically reached an agreement that the North will resume disabling Yongbyon in return for the US delisting. "The North's resuming the disabling and the US delisting may come as early as this month," it quoted a Seoul government official as saying. "Both the US and the North made some concessions. But all the key aspects of verification are included." Dong-A Ilbo said there were still differences on verification but that the United States would go ahead with delisting, possibly as early as Friday, and continue with negotiations. Japan's Kyodo News agency said the delisting would come by the end of this month. It said Washington has agreed that verification will at present cover only the admitted plutonium bomb-making program, and not a suspected secret enriched uranium program. (cont)
Source: AFP
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