US Says Verification Key to North Korea Nuclear Deal | Voice of America - English
The leading U.S. diplomat conducting talks with North Korea and its neighbors on the nation's nuclear program says verification will be the most important aspect of the effort to remove nuclear weapons from the Korean peninsula.  Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill made the remarks during a speech in Washington and VOA correspondent Meredith Buel has details.
Last week North Korea submitted along-awaited document that listed its nuclear holdings. North Koreanofficials also demolished the cooling tower at the country's Yongbyonnuclear reactor. The moves are viewed as key steps to ending thenation's nuclear weapons program, a long sought goal of the UnitedStates and North Korea's neighbors. Ambassador Hill, the leading U.S. diplomat to the six-party talks, says the ultimate goal of the negotiations is clear. "Wehave to have complete denuclearization," he said. "We have to makesure there is no stone left unturned. We have to make sure there is noclandestine uranium enrichment program that is somehow undeclared andunexcavated." China, Russia, Japan, the United States and SouthKorea have promised Pyongyang energy, financial and diplomatic benefitsin exchange for actions leading to an end to its nuclear weaponscapabilities. Following the nuclear declaration, President Bushannounced he is ready to lift some trade sanctions against North Koreaand is rescinding the country's designation as a state sponsor ofterrorism. The next major step is verifying that North Korea has made a full disclosure of its nuclear facilities. "Verificationis absolutely key to this whole process," said Hill. "People often sayhow can you trust them? This has nothing to do with trust. This haseverything to do with verification." The six nations involved in talks with North Korea are expected to meet later this month to discuss the verification process. Hill says the long, drawn-out diplomatic discussions are critical to establishing a nuclear-free Korean peninsula. "Atthe end of the day the issue of North Korea's aspirations for nuclearweapons is an issue rooted in the region, an issue that can not besolved by the U.S. alone, an issue that really needs the activeengagement of its neighbors," he said. Pyongyang's declarationcame six months after it was promised and some critics say it fallsshort of a complete statement once sought by the Bush administrationthat was to include an admission of proliferation activities with Syriaand other countries. The list of nuclear facilities does not include the number of atomic bombs North Korea has already made. "Themain thing I take from Ambassador Hill's comments is that this is aproblem that is going to be left to the successor of President Bush,"said Jon Wolfsthal, a nuclear proliferation expert at the Center forStrategic and International Studies. "It is clear that theverification, the actual denuclearization of North Korea is not goingto happen under President Bush's watch." North Korea'sdeclaration clears the way for more international assistance,specifically food and fuel, which are in short supply in the isolated,communist country.