(NECN/ABC) - President Bush said today he will remove North Korea from the U.S. terrorism blacklist. It is a sharp reversal of policy towards a country he once branded part of the "axis of evil." Mr. Bush acted after North Korea agreed to take the first steps towards dismantling its nuclear weapons program.
For years, North Korea's leader Kim Jong Il has defied U.S. demands to give up his nuclear weapons program. Today, concessions from both sides.
President Bush: "Today we have taken a step, and it is a very positive step but there are more steps to be done."
Click here to watch the news conference President Bush held after learning the news.
In a deal reached between North Korea and the U.S., China, Russia, South Korea and Japan, North Korea agreed to provide details of its nuclear facilities.
It will also reveal how much plutonium, the key ingredient to making a nuclear bomb, it has.
In exchange, the U.S. will drop North Korea from the State Dept. list of countries that sponsor terrorism.
It will also lift some politically significant sanctions, but hold onto its leverage.
President Bush: "The two actions the US is taking will have little impact on North Korea's financial and diplomatic isolation. North Korea will remain one of the most heavily sanctioned nations in the world."
No comments:
Post a Comment