North Korea blinks
After years of diplomatic temper-tantrums North Korea has finally agreed to stop building nuclear weapons:
BEIJING (AP) - North Korea agreed Monday to stop building nuclear weapons and allow international inspections in exchange for energy aid, economic cooperation and security assurances, a breakthrough that marked a first step toward disarmament after two years of six-nation talks.
The chief U.S. envoy to the talks praised the development as a "win-win situation" and "good agreement for all of us." But he promptly urged Pyongyang to make good on its promises by ending operations at its main nuclear facility at Yongbyon.
The key, of course, is whether North Korea lives up to its promises. It hasn't for the past 20 years, so we need to follow Ronald Reagan's advise to "trust, but verify".
BEIJING (AP) - North Korea agreed Monday to stop building nuclear weapons and allow international inspections in exchange for energy aid, economic cooperation and security assurances, a breakthrough that marked a first step toward disarmament after two years of six-nation talks.
The chief U.S. envoy to the talks praised the development as a "win-win situation" and "good agreement for all of us." But he promptly urged Pyongyang to make good on its promises by ending operations at its main nuclear facility at Yongbyon.
The key, of course, is whether North Korea lives up to its promises. It hasn't for the past 20 years, so we need to follow Ronald Reagan's advise to "trust, but verify".