Bush Puts N. Korea Aid On The Table

President Bush said Tuesday he would consider a plan to give North Korea energy and food aid if the communist regime disarms its nuclear weapons program.

The offer came even as Mr. Bush said he won't negotiate with Pyongyang or reward the country for "bad behavior." It is a departure from the administration's policy against linking food aid to political developments.

Hoping to ease tensions as the U.S. prepares for a possible war with Iraq, the president told reporters in the Oval Office, "I view this as an opportunity to bind together nations in the neighborhood and around the world to make it clear to the North Koreans that we expect this issue to be resolved peacefully and we expect them to disarm - we expect them not to develop nuclear weapons."

"If they so choose to do so – their choice – then I will reconsider whether or not I we'll start the bold initiative that I talked to Secretary (Colin) Powell about," Mr. Bush said before a meeting with Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski.

Earlier in the session with reporters, Mr. Bush said his initiative included talks about food and energy aid because the United States cares "about the suffering of the North Korean people."

Mr. Bush spoke after U.S. Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly suggested in Asia that North Korea could get energy aid if it dismantles its nuclear weapons programs.

The White House asserted Monday that offering the prospect of energy assistance to North Korea does not amount to rewarding Pyongyang for its defiant stance in the dispute over its nuclear weapons program.

Asked about that charge Tuesday, the president explained that he had authorized Secretary of State Powell last fall to offer North Korea assistance, but then Pyongyang acknowledged it was producing nuclear weapons in violation of a 1994 agreement with the United States.

"People say, 'Are you willing to talk to North Korea?' Of course we are. But what this nation won't do is be blackmailed," Mr. Bush said with the Polish president at his side.

President Kwasniewski said he agreed with Mr. Bush's approach.

Earlier, the White House welcomed China's offer Tuesday to host talks between the United States and North Korea but stopped short of calling the development a breakthrough in the peninsula's nuclear standoff.

"We welcome this step," White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said. "It's appropriate for these officials to talk, and we believe the message that's been given (by allies) is very unified in regards to our approach to North Korea the world has condemned North Korea's actions."

Asked whether China's overture was a step toward a solution, Fleischer said, however, "That's up to North Korea. We'll find out. We hope so."

Pyongyang, meanwhile, continued it belligerent tone Tuesday, warning that it was running out of patience with Washington and threatening to exercise new "options."

A vaguely worded statement from the North did not specify what options it was considering, but suggested the isolationist communist nation was prepared to escalate the confrontation.

North Korea denied on Tuesday that its withdrawal from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty was aimed at squeezing concessions from the United States, and accused Washington of being insincere about prospects for dialogue.

"Some countries and media describe our recent measures as brinkmanship tactics and that is a silly allegation," KCNA said in a commentary that was reported by the South Korean news agency, Yonhap.

Pyongyang withdrew from the nuclear pact last week and has threatened to drop a self-imposed moratorium on missile tests, and to operate a plant that can be used to extract weapons-grade plutonium from spent fuel rods.

North Korea has protested the suspension of U.S. fuel shipments to the impoverished country following its admission last fall of a secret nuclear weapons program. The North says it will resolve U.S. security concerns if Washington signs a non-aggression pact.