U.S. threatens North Korea with assets freeze

[maddezmom]

BEIJING (Reuters) - The United States threatened to freeze North Korean assets if the reclusive state did not toe the line in talks aimed at ending its nuclear weapons programme and said it wanted to see progress within five days.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the United States was not solely dependent on the six-party talks, currently deadlocked in Beijing, to get North Korea to abandon its nuclear ambitions.

"We're not sitting still, you know, we're working on anti-proliferation measures that help to protect us," Rice said in an interview conducted on Thursday with the New York Post, a transcript of which was released by the State Department.

"The president signed an executive order, if you remember that freezes assets and some entities that we believe that are engaging in proliferation trade," she said.

more;http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20050916/wl_nm/korea_north_dc;_

[Birthmark]

1. There must be some mistake

The article say 'North Korean assets' - plural. That's just crazy talk.

[bemildred]

2. Always with the threats. What's with these people? nt

[jpak]

3. LOL!!!

NK has ASSETS????

:rofl:

You go Condi!!!!

[bemildred]

4. N. Korea seeks concessions in nuclear standoff

BEIJING -- North Korea said today it will not give up its peaceful nuclear program without concessions the United States is unlikely to grant, stalling progress in six-nation talks aimed at getting Pyongyang to dismantle its atomic weapons program.

China proposed that North Korea retain the right to a peaceful nuclear program after abandoning its weapons, according to Russia's chief envoy to the six-nation talks. That proposal contains "compromise wording which could satisfy both sides," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Alexeyev said, referring to the United States and North Korea.

But Pyongyang vowed anew not to give up its atomic program without getting concessions first.

"We will never give up our nuclear" program before the U.S. nuclear threat is removed from the Korean peninsula, North Korean spokesman Hyun Hak Bong told reporters, referring to Pyongyang's claims that it needs nuclear arms to defend itself.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nationworld/bal-korea0916,0,7241198.story?coll=bal-nationworld-headlines