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North Korea remains on a list of state sponsors of terrorism from which the U.S. had been expected to remove the Stalinist country on Monday. A diplomatic source in Washington said U.S. President George W. Bush decided to postpone the removal since North Korea failed to agree on a verification regime for the nuclear programs and stockpiles it has declared.
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told Japan's Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura by phone about the policy change. By law, the U.S. president could have removed the North from the terrorism list on Aug. 11, 45 days after he formally notified Congress his intention on June 26.
The U.S. and North Korea recently discussed the possibility of unannounced visits to the Yongbyon nuclear facility for inspection -- the key issue in the verification regime -- sample taking, and the IAEA's role, but failed to reach agreement. The U.S. decision may well herald a chilly period in its relations with the North.
Some officials with the U.S. government and Congress predict that the decision could scupper Bush¡¯s hopes of reaching a breakthrough before he leaves office in January.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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