Bush Hints at Compromise in N. Korea Talks

The Internet edition of New York Times reported Friday that U.S. President George W. Bush expressed his intention to gradually ease sanctions on North Korea and ultimately to sign a peace treaty with Pyongyang. The paper reported that this signals a major change in President Bush’s approach to the North, and that the U.S. will employ the new strategy for the next 6 way talks.

Citing high-ranking U.S. officials, the paper reported that the U.S. president authorized American representatives to send his new message to the North Korean delegates at the six-way talks.

James Kelly, the Assistant Secretary of State, explained the president`s new message to the North. But North Korea, the paper reported, did not show immediate responses.

The new negotiation strategy by Mr. Bush has been proposed by the Secretary of State Colin Powell and the Deputy Secretary of State, Richard L. Armitage. The strategy, dubbed as “more for more” is about giving inducements to North Korea in phases only as North Korea starts surrendering its nuclear weapons.

The paper said that the position of the Bush administration represents a big change from its attitude earlier this year in which no new aid would be provided to the North unless it gave up all its nuclear weapons and dismantled all nuclear facilities.

The U.S. officials stressed that these inducements would be phased in slowly and only as North Korea starts surrendering its nuclear weapons, dismantling the facilities used to develop them, and permitting inspectors free run of the country, the newspaper reported.

In a phone conversation with the New York Times, however, National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice disputed the notion that Mr. Bush was making a significant change in strategy. She said that every thing would depend on how North Korea would react.

The speaker of the National Security Council said that as long as Mr. Bush firmly expressed his intention not to attack or invade North Korea, North Korea should regard the announcement of Mr .Bush as a guarantee of not attacking the North.

maypole@donga.com