North Korea Responds To Bush Positively

Officials Say Message Indicates Pyongyang Will Cooperate On Nuclear Deal If U.S. Does

(CBS/AP)  President Bush said Friday that he got North Korea's attention by writing Pyongyang a letter and that Kim Jong Il can get his attention by fully disclosing his nuclear programs and proliferation activities.

North Korea verbally responded through a diplomatic channel on Thursday to a letter Mr. Bush sent to Kim earlier this month. The letter, the president's first to the leader of the communist regime, was viewed as a personal gesture from the president, who once branded North Korea as part of an "axis of evil."

"I got his attention with a letter and he can get my attention by fully disclosing his programs, including any plutonium he may have processed and converted some of that into whatever he's used it for. We just need to know," President Bush said in the Rose Garden after a meeting with his Cabinet. "As well, he can get our attention by fully disclosing his proliferation activities."

"An important step is a full declaration of programs, materials that may have been developed to create weapons, as well as the proliferation activities of the regime."

Officials indicate it was a positive reaction to the president's call for cooperation on North Korea's nuclear program, reports CBS News White House Correspondent Peter Maer. The administration is eager to find a path to a de-nuclearized Korean Peninsula.

His colleague, Mark Knoller, reports White House spokesman Scott Stanzel later said the U.S. will not disclose what the message was, but that the verbal reply came on Wednesday through North Korea's UN mission.

A senior U.S. official with knowledge of the contents of North Korea's message said it contained what appeared to be a pledge from Pyongyang to follow through on its denuclearization deal as long as the United States held to its end of the bargain.

North Korea began disabling its plutonium-producing reactor last month under watch of U.S. experts. In exchange, the U.S. agreed to seek normalizing ties with North Korea and remove the country from terrorism and trade sanctions blacklists.

"We'll live up to our side, we hope you'll live up to yours," the official paraphrased Kim's message as saying. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the private diplomatic exchange.

The message was the country's first official response to the letter from Mr. Bush, but it was unclear if the message was directly from Kim.

[erasmus6]

ToolMangler

"We still have plenty to disagree about."

Of that, I have no doubt!:)


"Don''''t get your ''''bustle'''' in an uproar..."

Geez, I hate to tell you this, but the "bustle" went our of style MANY years ago. I wasn''t even born yet.

[toolmangler-2009]

Posted by erasmus6 at 01:11 PM : Dec 15, 2007



Don''t get your ''bustle'' in an uproar, We still have plenty to disagree about.

[erasmus6]

"On that! We can agree!!" Posted by ToolMangler at 01:07 PM : Dec 15, 2007


REALLY? WOW!

[toolmangler-2009]

Personally I don''''t think you can believe anything either one of them says.

Posted by erasmus6 at 12:51 PM : Dec 15, 2007



On that! We can agree!!!

[erasmus6]

Personally I don''t think you can believe anything either one of them says.

[missingamerica]

This is all the Libs fault. Clinton gave North Korea free nuclear technology. Nuke the *****, "W".

Posted by verifyuser at 08:03 PM : Dec 14, 2007

Wow...a one-person effort to ensure that America elects liberals across the board simply out of fear that someone who thinks like him might be elected otherwise...

Effective, too.

[walt1944-2009]

The Great Emperor Bush II is delighted to hear from his fellow dictator in North Korea and looks forward to the prospect of comparing notes with Kim Jong, not just on nuclear topics but also on "aggresive interrogation techniques" such as new forms of water boarding, sleep deprevation and other topics along those lines.

Ultimately, the Great Emperor plans on visiting North Korea personally, thus getting his small toe into the history books as Nixon did when he visited "Still-Red China".

On that possible visit, the Great Emperor intends on bringing as many of his Fascist neocon Republican court as he can to show them that water boarding isn''t really torture, but "a day at the beach, without the beach". Jong has stated he will be glad to receive the Emperor and his court, provided that they bring a container full of DVD''s, particularly of the "porn" variety which the Great Emperor can easily obtain from any of his Fascist neocon Republican Congressmen.

SIG HEIL, BUSH!!!

[feelfree1]

verifyuser,

In a battle between your ignorance, your cowardice, and your deeply repressed homosexuality, which would prevail?

[zootallures2]

==he can get my attention by fully disclosing his programs, including any plutonium he may have processed and converted some of that into whatever he''s used it for. We just need to know," President Bush said==

I doubt it was North Korea. Perhaps you should send a letter to the corporations that make all the military hardware and the international banks. And maybe even one to yourself and family. Entitle it "Why oh why did you blow up the world trade center?"

[zootallures2]

Many things in common with North Korea. Maybe Kim Jong has some pointers on controlling the public for the best bottom line. You''ve already exhausted Gangis Khan, Nepoleon, Hitler, ancient Eqypt, studies into dinosaur domination.... maybe Kim has a way to get amerikkkans to even give up their rain boots to the IRS? One child policy and maybe even a one shoe policy.

[feelfree1]

Re: "North Korea Responds To Bush Positively"

Great! They''re about the only ones who do!

Thay can have him!

Bush (the lesser''s) ruling style aligns nicely with that of Kim Jong Il.

[poopusbuttus]

This thread blows....oh well you dummy dems, chalk another victory up for Bush!

[poopusbuttus]

Notice how this thread is not getting many posts at all? I wonder why that is? Could it be................................................................................................................................because this is another argument the liberals have lost?

[poopusbuttus]

Mr. President, did it only take you six years to figure out what "diplomacy" means? Good job there, fella. Shoot first, ask questions later. Thankfully Kim Jong II is looney enough to allegedly buy into the latest 180 degree spin


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Posted by IdlePugilist


I knew some lame a$$ shiit like this was coming.....let me guess, Bill could have done it in 3 yrs...right?

[idlepugilist]

Mr. President, did it only take you six years to figure out what "diplomacy" means? Good job there, fella. Shoot first, ask questions later. Thankfully Kim Jong II is looney enough to allegedly buy into the latest 180 degree spin

[poopusbuttus]

This must drive the liberals nuts. Bush''''s strong approach made this possible. Kudos Bush.


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Posted by denn034


Of course it drives the Liberals nuts. Remember a couple of years ago while all the libs were crying that bush should hold direct talks with N.Korea and Bush said no. He wanted 6 party talks.

Yessssss....this is a seathing, scorning blow to the liberals.......

[blancadebree]

Wouldn''t you if you were getting pressure from the only character who is loonier than Dear Leader? Commander Guy is brilliant! He pretends to be crazy, drunk, ineffectual, uncaring, and a complete moron, just so he can take advantage of these kinds of situations. God bless you, Mr. Decider!

http://blancadebree.blogspot.com

[denn034]

This must drive the liberals nuts. Bush''s strong approach made this possible. Kudos Bush.

[mbcsmith]

GWB is cleaning up ANOTHER Billdo mess. Good job Mr. President!

[ramos937]

Good now just leave it there. Just let the next administration pick up the ball. Better yet, let the South Koreans handle it and take the lead.