US says no peace treaty with North Korea unless it abandons nukes

[webfact]

US says no peace treaty with North Korea unless it abandons nukes
MATTHEW PENNINGTON, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States won't consider North Korea's call for a peace treaty unless it abandons its pursuit of nuclear weapons and improves human rights, a senior U.S. diplomat said Thursday.

Sung Kim, U.S. special representative for North Korea policy, described Pyongyang's proposal for negotiations on a treaty as "disingenuous."

The North reiterated that demand last week and warned it would otherwise strengthen its nuclear deterrent. That was in response to President Barack Obama and South Korean President Park Geun-hye saying they were open to talks on easing sanctions if the North would negotiate on ending its nuclear program.

"Frankly I'm skeptical about their call for a peace treaty because I think they understand that we have some fundamental requirements," Kim told a House foreign affairs panel.

"They would need to denuclearize, they would need to abandon their pursuit of dangerous delivery means, missile capabilities, and they would need to improve their human rights situation. I mean I cannot imagine any circumstances in which we would enter a peace treaty with a North Korea that continues to reject international obligations and commitments. They know that," he said.

The Korean Peninsula is still in a technical state of war because the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty. The U.S. retains 28,500 troops in South Korea.

Lawmakers at the hearing called for the North to be designated as a state sponsor of terrorism. The designation was lifted in 2008 during negotiations on its nuclear program that stalled soon after.

"The (North Korean) government is doing everything it can to be a bad actor in the world," said Republican Rep. Ted Poe.

Among the allegations leveled by Poe was that North Korean-supplied rockets had been used by fighters of the militant group Hamas against Israel, and that the North had provided material support to Hezbollah.

State Department officials said a designation requires a determination that a government repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism, and it continues review available intelligence on North Korea.


-- (c) Associated Press 2015-10-23

[ggt]

It is reasonable to assume that N. Korea will agree to abandon its nukes...just as soon as the US agrees to abandon it's nukes...

Oh, my bad, I forgot that the US considers itself an exceptional country..."do as we say"...."not as we do"...

[Srikcir]

Maybe Prayut can help Kim to get the USA to understand Kim's roadmap to peace.

[Jingthing]

It is reasonable to assume that N. Korea will agree to abandon its nukes...just as soon as the US agrees to abandon it's nukes...

Oh, my bad, I forgot that the US considers itself an exceptional country..."do as we say"...."not as we do"...

Yes, the U.S. is an exceptional country. Thanks for noticing.

[uksomchai]

Funny how American nukes are a " Nuclear deterrent " and yet any other country that wishes to have them for defence are after getting or having

" Weapons of mass destruction "

Funny old world don't you think ?

[Jingthing]

Funny how American nukes are a " Nuclear deterrent " and yet any other country that wishes to have them for defence are after getting or having

" Weapons of mass destruction "

Funny old world don't you think ?

That's kind of idea. Limit the crazy nations that have nukes so that we still ALL have a world can call crazy and old or whatever you like.

That project hasn't been especially successful. I think besides Korea that India - Pakistan is the most likely region to actually use these weapons again.

[connda]

Send in Team America: World Police.

[Jingthing]

Send in Team America: World Police.

People complain when they are and complain even louder when they aren't. That's the burden of being the most powerful nation on the planet. There will always be snipers ... regardless.

[connda]

Send in Team America: World Police.

Send in Team America: World Police. It would be the MIC's wet dream come true. Send in the drones, cruise missiles, tactical aircraft, B-52s, and get those NATO troops back to Inchon, but with tactile nukes this time. Yeah buddy. Make the DMZ a 'hot as melted glass zone'. Show Kim Jong-Un what Gangham-Style means. No more targeting Pashtun wedding parties. Have the Nobel Peace Prize winner show the world his cojones and regime-change a real tyrant with a really bad haircut. Target a country with a military that will fight back and prove "American Exceptionalism" isn't a joke.

-Signed

General Jack D. Ripper

"Purity of Essence. Must preserve our bodily fluids at any cost. Now let's nuke those commie bastards! And see if you can find Major T.J. "King" Kong? We got a little 'nuke riding' for him to do."

<caveat: I'm dating myself. Go watch Dr. Stranglove. Probably a little before ya'll time. I watched it with my Dad at a B-52 SAC base where my dad was a pilot just after the Cuban Missile Crisis. The audience, mostly SAC crew members, where falling over themselves laughing. That was probably as fun as the movie. >

Edited October 23, 2015 by connda

[uksomchai]

Funny how American nukes are a " Nuclear deterrent " and yet any other country that wishes to have them for defence are after getting or having

" Weapons of mass destruction "

Funny old world don't you think ?

That's kind of idea. Limit the crazy nations that have nukes so that we still ALL have a world can call crazy and old or whatever you like.

That project hasn't been especially successful. I think besides Korea that India - Pakistan is the most likely region to actually use these weapons again.

. Only the USA has used their " Nuclear Deterrent " as a weapon of mass destruction against another country.

I also don't see either Korea, India or Pakistan bombing the crap out of the Middle east or anywhere else and implementing regime change throughout the region to disastrous effect either.

Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and now Syria now total and utter basket cases thanks to US intervention and you are calling Korea a crazy regime ?

[BKResort]

Easy solution. Just wait to have Trump in office to "negotiate"..and bankrupt Korea too.

[billd766]

Send in Team America: World Police.

Send in Team America: World Police. It would be the MIC's wet dream come true. Send in the drones, cruise missiles, tactical aircraft, B-52s, and get those NATO troops back to Inchon, but with tactile nukes this time. Yeah buddy. Make the DMZ a 'hot as melted glass zone'. Show Kim Jong-Un what Gangham-Style means. No more targeting Pashtun wedding parties. Have the Nobel Peace Prize winner show the world his cojones and regime-change a real tyrant with a really bad haircut. Target a country with a military that will fight back and prove "American Exceptionalism" isn't a joke.

-Signed

General Jack D. Ripper

"Purity of Essence. Must preserve our bodily fluids at any cost. Now let's nuke those commie bastards! And see if you can find Major T.J. "King" Kong? We got a little 'nuke riding' for him to do."

<caveat: I'm dating myself. Go watch Dr. Stranglove. Probably a little before ya'll time. I watched it with my Dad at a B-52 SAC base where my dad was a pilot just after the Cuban Missile Crisis. The audience, mostly SAC crew members, where falling over themselves laughing. That was probably as fun as the movie. >

I watched for the second time 3 nights ago.

Yes it was dated but still as funny as the first time.