U.S. Warns N. Korea: Patience Running Out

White House Sends Top Advisor To New York Delegation With Rare Direct Message On Nuke Standoff

(CBS/AP)  A top White House adviser has personally delivered a pointed message to North Korean officials, urging them to act on a nuclear disarmament pledge and telling them that U.S. patience is limited, a U.S. official said.

Victor Cha, President Bush's top adviser on North Korea, told North Korean officials in New York City on Tuesday that frustration is rising 10 days after the North missed a deadline to shut down its main nuclear reactor, according to a senior U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.

The North Koreans said they would convey the message to officials in Pyongyang, the U.S. official said.

Cha is a deputy negotiator at the talks with North Korea that include Japan, China, Russia, the United States and South Korea. He traveled to New York with Sung Kim, the State Department's director of Korean affairs, the U.S. official said.

The State Department occasionally sends messages to Pyongyang through North Korean officials at the United Nations in New York, but it is unusual for a White House official to make the trip and indicates the importance the Bush administration attaches to making progress on the issue.

In an interview aired Tuesday on PBS, President Bush said that the U.S. cannot directly prod Pyongyang to shut down its reactor by way of withholding monetary aid, "because we don't have any aid."

But, added Mr. Bush, "the Chinese can, or the South Koreans can." The president thanked South Korean leader Roh Moo-Hyun for being "so stalwart" in denying millions of dollars in aid to the North as a means of prompting the reclusive communist government to comply.

North Korea pledged in February to begin abandoning its nuclear program in return for energy aid and political concessions, but it missed an April 14 deadline to shut down its nuclear reactor. The North has refused to act until it receives $25 million in cash frozen after a Macau bank was blacklisted by the United States for allegedly helping the North with money laundering and counterfeiting.

The funds have been freed for withdrawal, but for unknown reasons the North has not yet acted to recover the money.

In Seoul, however, South Korean Foreign Minister Song Min-soon said Wednesday the dispute over the funds was nearing a resolution.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Il reviewed a massive military parade featuring dozens of missiles in Pyongyang to mark the army's anniversary Wednesday, in a display of might amid the tensions over the country's nuclear weapons.

Kim Jong Il is a "rational" man, but the country is headed in the wrong direction, Japan's prime minister told cable television network CNN ahead of his visit this week to the United States.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who heads to the U.S. April 26 for a summit with President Bush, described to CNN his impression of Kim based on a meeting with him in 2002.

"I regard Mr. Kim Jong Il as a person who is capable of rational thinking. I believe a policy of dialogue and pressure vis-a-vis the North will be effective," CNN quoted Abe as saying.

The Cha meeting in New York followed a visit Monday to Washington by South Korea's envoy at international nuclear talks, Chun Yung-woo. Chun said the United States and South Korea are frustrated with North Korea's failure to meet disarmament obligations but are willing to give the North more time.

"There's no ultimatum," the U.S. official said of the Cha meeting. "But there is a degree of frustration among all parties."

The North Korean issue will be a topic of discussion when Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visits Washington on Thursday for talks with Bush.

Also Tuesday, U.S. Army Gen. B.B. Bell, the head of U.S. forces in South Korea, told lawmakers that North Korea could become a "moderate nuclear power" by 2010 if current disarmament negotiations fail.

Leader Kim Jong Il's government, Bell told the Senate Armed Services Committee, views its ballistic missile program as a source of international prestige and regional influence, a deterrent against attack and a means of generating money from exports.

As a result, he said in testimony, the North continues to produce missiles "and may ultimately aim to develop nuclear armed missiles to threaten regional countries and even the U.S."

Separately, Robert Joseph, the State Department's senior arms control official until last month, said the United States could be prolonging the life of the regime in Pyongyang as North Korean leaders pretend to give up their nuclear weapons in exchange for energy aid.

Joseph urged the five nations to hold back concessions until the North fully and irreversibly dismantles its nuclear program.

Calling North Korea "the most repressive, the most totalitarian government on the face of the earth," Joseph said North Korea recognizes that joining the international community would mean the end of the regime's absolute power over its people.

[incog-nito]

This administration has been "warning" NK for the past 6 years. What exactly does the US plan to threaten NK with? Zippo.

[jacksteen1]

These ugly, shovel-faced dogs need to be slapped down like the curs they are.

Time to re-establish the pecking order in the world - with US on top.

[navyretired2]

"Time to re-establish the pecking order in the world - with US on top."

Would be fantastic! However, the current administration has diplomatically and politically made this impossible for the time being. Too much dollar outflow, not enough inflow, to be truly effective with influence.

[pwrslm]

This administration has been "warning" NK for the past 6 years. What exactly does the US plan to threaten NK with? Zippo.
Posted by incog-nito

well, the last one ignored them, thats why this one has to act, yes, they were developing nukes during the Clinton Administration.

[wolf563]

DO YOU THINK The U.S.A. IS BEING PLAYED BY NORTH KOREA AND IRAN TOGETHER ? IS IRAN IS HELPED BY NORTH KOREA IN THIER NUCLEAR ADVANCEMENTS AND WILL THEY STAGE DUAL NUCLEAR ATTACKS ON U.S. SOIL WITHIN 3 YEARS ? RUSSIA IS LOST IN ITS OWN WAR ON ITS PEOPLE AND CHINA IS POISONING THE WORLD . MORE AND MORE COUNTRIES ARE TURNING ON THE U.S.A. AND WITH ONE WRONG MOVE OR STATEMENT BY THE U.S. THEY WILL BE ATTACKED BY MORE THAN ONE COUNTRY . TO STOP ALL THIS FROM HAPPENING THE U.S. NEEDS TO ACK NOW ON IRAN AND NORTH KOREA . DISMANTLE OR BE DISTROYED SHOULD BE THE NEXT MESSAGE TO BOTH COUNTRIES !

[fredgrad2000]

jerryomara - hey get off the MoveOn.org site and come back to reality. No one in 2003 thought North Korea has any MORE weapons than the 1 or 2 thought to already have been developed in the early 90's; BUT every rational person (see quotes below) believed Saddam had all sorts of WMD, and he was someone who had used them and who had the means to distribute them in a vital region and to Islamofascist terrorists. Iraq had also violated 17 UN resolutions and their own ceasefire agreement from 1991 with us; so at that time, based on what all rational people believed about Iraq, Iraq was certainly higher on our priority list that NK. I'm sure you were the one voice of reason who knew Iraq had nothing and that North Korea would be testing a nuke in 2006...hahaha

"We have known for many years that Saddam Hussein is seeking and developing weapons of mass destruction."
- Sen. Ted Kennedy (D, MA), Sept. 27, 2002
"In the four years since the inspectors left, intelligence reports show that Saddam Hussein has worked to rebuild his chemical and biological weapons stock, his missile delivery capability, and his nuclear program.
He has also given aid, comfort, and sanctuary to terrorists, including al Qaeda members
It is clear, however, that if left unchecked, Saddam Hussein will continue to increase his capacity to wage biological and chemical warfare, and will keep trying to develop nuclear weapons." - Sen. Hillary Clinton (D, NY), Oct 10, 2002

[bigsk8fan]

Don't tell me, W wants to go to war with another country that is NOT attacking the USA. Bad for North Korea to have nuclear capabilities, but OK for the USA. Tell me why? Is it because we are so trustworthy with W at the helm. Methinksnot!

[samrensho]

Oh, golly gee. GW warns NK. I bet they're shivering in their boots right now.

[lars008-2009]

Always knew demonic-rats were against free speech%u2026%u2026.lol

YouTube blocked video mocking Clinton administration
http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=52405

A drudge video link
Limits imposed on access to clip critical of Albright-run North Korea policy
http://drudgereport.com/flashma.htm

YOU HAVE BEEN ZUCKERED LIBSCUM...LOL

EXCLUSIVE: 'SCARY MOVIE' DIRECTOR MAKES CAMPAIGN AD; MOCKS DEMOCRATS...
http://www.drudgereport.com/flashma.htm
The David Zucker Albright Ad
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7h3GPc_yMCE
Hahahahahahahahaha the worst secretary of state ever..
Albright says next president must `restore goodness of American power'
http://www.accessnorthga.com/news/ap_newfullstory.asp?ID=88008


NK NewsDatabase of North Korean Propaganda
http://www.nk-news.net/index.php
http://www.nk-news.net/extras/insult_generator.php
http://www.topofthenews.com/
Join the battle for North Korea... watch the video:
http://mdcyguy.blogspot.com/2006/10/join-battle-for-north-korea.html
http://www.armscontrol.org/factsheets/dprkchron.asp#1994
http://archives.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/asiapcf/east/12/15/nkorea.us/index.html

McCain Criticizes Clinton on N. Korea
"I would remind Senator (Hillary) Clinton and other Democrats critical of the Bush administration's policies that the framework agreement her husband's administration negotiated was a failure," McCain said at a news conference after a campaign appearance for Republican Senate candidate Mike Bouchard.

[lars008-2009]

and you thought the internet had freedom of speech.... just like in china... google kowtows to islam and liberals......

Googled

Google has been accused of censoring writers critical Islamic fascism such as Arlene Peck, and those critical of Liberals in general.

Google refers to them as promoting "hate."
http://www.sullivan-county.com/id4/peck2b.htm

[randalds]

well, the last one ignored them, thats why this one has to act, yes, they were developing nukes during the Clinton Administration.
Posted by pwrslm at 08:31 AM : Apr 25, 2007

Well this is a load of sh*it. Not surprising considering the source. The North Koreans were developing nuclear power and the Clinton administration negotiated a successful treaty with them that allowed inspections at any time and in any of their facilities to make sure that is all they were doing. They even allowed UN cameras to be placed in the facilities. Then the moron Bush came to power and decided to open his mouth. He threatened NK and warned them that they needed to follow the treaty, in spite of the fact that they already were. He also referred to Kim Jong-Il as a "midget" and that was it. At that point NK removed the cameras and threw the inspectors out. In short Bush scr*ewed the pooch (on purpose) by opening his fat fu*cking mouth! They complied with the treaty completely under the Clinton administration and to say otherwise make you a lair.

[randalds]

"A top White House adviser has personally delivered a pointed message to North Korean officials, urging them to act on a nuclear disarmament pledge and telling them that U.S. patience is limited, a U.S. official said."

The as*sholes in the White House need to shut the fu*ck up, esp Bush and Cheney. They sent Bill Richardson on a mission to North Korea to come to a treaty agreement with them. In a matter of days he did what the White House's blustering and threats couldn't and got a successful agreement. Now the warmongers in the White House are pis*sed that there way didn't work and are pushing for the same "tough talk" that got NK to drop out of the last treaty right after they took power here. But flapping there fu8cking mouths now they are showing that they do not want an agreement with NK, they want a confrontation! They WANT war, not peace and they're determined to push bully and insult until they get the war they're desperately seeking. They are mentally ill with their need for more and more and more war and death. It's a sick obsession with parts of this administration, starting with the sickest bas***** of them all Di*ckhead Cheney.