U.S. Delegation: N. Korea Waiting On Cash

Gov. Bill Richardson Told U.N. Inspectors Will Be Allowed In As Soon As Frozen Funds Released

(AP)  North Korea's top nuclear negotiator told a visiting American delegation Monday that his government would immediately invite U.N. inspectors into the country if $25 million in disputed North Korean funds are released to Pyongyang, U.S. officials said.

North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye Gwan met with New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, a Democratic presidential candidate, and Anthony Principi, President Bush's former veteran affairs secretary, in Pyongyang.

Kim "indicated that the North Korean government would invite the... inspectors back the moment the funds are released to the North Korean government," Principi told reporters after the meeting.

Kim also told the U.S. delegation of the difficulty of shutting down the regime's main nuclear reactor by a Saturday deadline called for in a February nuclear disarmament accord, he said.

"They can make a beginning, but whether they can completely shut down a nuclear reactor in such a short time would be very difficult," Principi said.

The delegation, which also includes Victor Cha, Bush's top adviser on North Korea, is on a four-day trip to Pyongyang to recover remains of American servicemen killed in the Korean War. Richardson, a former ambassador to the U.N., said Sunday he had no intention of negotiating nuclear matters.

There has been little progress in implementing the landmark Feb. 13 nuclear agreement in which North Korea promised to take initial steps toward dismantling its nuclear program, including closing its main nuclear reactor and providing a full list of its nuclear facilities.

The impoverished North has refused to move forward due to the delayed transfer of $25 million in the regime's money frozen by Macau authorities after the U.S. blacklisted a bank in that Chinese administrative region in 2005 for allegedly helping Pyongyang launder money.

Last week, the State Department said that a hitch stalling the release of the funds had been resolved, potentially clearing the way for the disbursement of the money. No details were released on when or how the money would be transferred.

Richardson said his delegation pushed Kim for a show of good faith that North Korea was ready to move forward in it obligations under the Feb. 13 deal. He said the U.S. side asked for a meeting of the six nations involved in nuclear disarmament talks before Saturday, when Pyongyang is supposed to shut down its nuclear reactor and let in U.N. nuclear inspectors.

"Our negotiators are ready to meet with the North Koreans immediately so that this effort to dismantle their nuclear weapons is concluded," Richardson said.

Reporters were allowed to view the first minutes of the meeting. Kim said that the visit was the first one that included both Democratic and Republican American officials since Bush took office.

"In light of current international relations and DPRK-US relations, your current visit to our country is of very great significance," Kim said through an interpreter.

Richardson has regularly made diplomatic trips, often on his own initiative, to a number of global hot spots. Though visits to North Korea by senior U.S. officials are rare, this was Richardson's sixth.

[randalds]

So give them the $25 million back. It's their money in the first place and it's a small small small price to pay to see if they'll keep their word. At worst they'll get $25 million of their own money back for doing nothing and at best we may be on the road to a new treaty, which before all you right wingers start spreading lies, was working great under Clinton until Bush came in a fu*cked it up by going out of his way to provoke NK into breaking it. I realize that a treaty would be a big disappointment for the warmongers in the Bush White House (including the lunatic phony cowboy Bush himself) but they've already made 20 or 30 administrations worth of ****k ups and they need to do one, just one thing, right for a change. Let's see if the as*sholes in the White House are up to the task, though I doubt it.

[tbweb]

I propose giving North Korea half of its 25 million now and the other half once the Inspectors get back in and say they are satisfied with what they are allowed to inspect. Trust by verify!
--Ronald Regan (R)

[candojj1]

This is an easy one. The negotiator should be the same one that the Koreans usually deal with, namely the IMF. Those bankers are the godfathers of the world and don't take c#rap from anyone.

Since North Korea already does business with them to the tune of $196 million in 2004,it probably would be best to have a legal banker deal with them. One scu*m*b*ag to ano*ther sc*umb*ag.

As to puffy faced Richardson, he's OK but he's not got the ba@lls of these bankers who have tortured millions all around the world with their petrodollars, caused riots and so much hardship to so many. If your dealing with a crook send a bigger crook. Don't send a nice guy.

Obviously the $25 million is important. Here are the usual bankers terms. The objectives are austerity. People should move to the big city and the population should greatly increase and the cost of labor should decrease. Benefits shouldn't exist. Export everything. Import as much as is needed. Grow GDP. And repay the loans with the increased revenues. The books will show an increase in GDP, an increase in population, and other categories. You will become a democracy. Albeit a very poor one. Austere, sovereign, and within the rule of International law. The world will be open to Peoples Republic of Korea. Welcome! Break away from the Axis of Evil!!! I just can't see G.Bush giving $25million to NK. I can see a mafioso like the IMF doing it. But GW?

[swwils]

I think it is a bunch of s**t that we are paying 25 million $ so we can inspect something that we already know exists.That money could feed and cloth a lot of Americans that need housing and medication,but I guess I am just a stupid person,and all the needy in this country are a figment of my imagination.

[fridak-2009]

Learn to read.

WE aren't paying $25 million. It's money that already belongs to them that we managed to get frozen by pressuring banks who do business with them.

Bill Richardson has done remarkable diplomatic work in the past. Don't underestimate him. What is amazing is that the Bush administration is using him instead of some incompetent redneck.

[kaili3]

This is pathetic.
we need to pay them in order for them to shut down nuclear reactors.
we already know they are using money we have sent them before for nuclear reasons instead of food
that was established months ago.
ridiculous, give me a break.

[fridak-2009]

Some of you are starting to sound a bit ignorant.

It's their money already! It never was our money.

Learn to read!

[kaili3]

it is there money because WE give money to them.
oil for food program , already established a couple months ago money we gave them was for food,they used it for NUCLEAR reasons!!!
we give enough,they have already destryed their own credibility,deal with it.

[realpatriot1]

tbweb,

Excellent point! Why are we giving them the money BEFORE they put the cameras back into the reactors?

Yes, it's there money. They also agreed to abide by International law.

The money was frozen for a reason and needs to be unfrozen for a reason.

[starleo146]

It's there money so is our social security money sorry Haliburton got it all too late.

[starleo146]

Fridak---He is using Bill Richardson because ALL HIS people are being investigated or resigning or taken the 5th no one in his administration has the gift of negotiation that Bill Richardson has now or never will. They only know how to BULLY FOLKS AROUND.

[randalds]

Oh come on! Besides the fact that it's their money in the first place $25 million is pocket change! We waste that every few hours on our war in Iraq. Give them their money back. If they don't comply then we've lost nothing!

As for Richardson being the one to negotiate it should be obvious, he's a great negotiator! Certainly infinitely better then any "diplomat" that's in Bush circus of clowns. Who else is he going to send? Condi! I doubt if the same methods she uses to make Bush happy will work on Kim Jong-il.

[figuy30]

we already know the n. koreans are liars, blackmailers, & extortionists. we could wipe them out in an afternoon if we did'nt have to ask the u.n. for permission first. they don't have any intention of keeping their word, and they believe we're stupid enough to keep negotiating with them for eternity. even china does'nt want anything to do with them. look at chinas illegal immigration policy. undermining our currency & money laundering is a criminal offense authorized by the very head of their government. n. korea does'nt contribute one thing to the world community except trouble. it's time to tell n. korea we're through talking.

[realpatriot1]

figuy,

I hate to dispel your fantasy but we fought their army to a draw 50 years ago and it took more than an afternoon. Is this like Mission Accomplished in Iraq?

I think we might need permission from the South Koreans whose capital is approximately 80 miles from the DMZ. Also, they have a million man army.We don't.

[agnim]

US VIOLATING ITS OWN SANCTION AGAINST KOREA! LOL

U.S. Allowed Secret Ethiopia-N.Korea Arms Deal

The New York Times is reporting the Bush administration recently allowed Ethiopia to complete a secret arms purchase from North Korea IN VIOLATION OF INTERNATIONAL SANCTIONS. LOL

The United States allowed the arms delivery to go through in January shortly after Ethiopia invaded Somalia.

http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/04/09/144242