Norks agree to six party talks

AP/Houston Chronicle:

North Korea agreed today to rejoin six-nation nuclear disarmament talks in a surprise diplomatic breakthrough three weeks after the communist regime conducted its first known atomic test, the Chinese government said.

Chinese, U.S. and North Korean envoys to the negotiations held a day of unpublicized talks in Beijing during which North Korea agreed to return to the larger six-nation talks on its nuclear programs, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said.

"The three parties agreed to resume the six-party talks at the earliest convenient time,'' the Chinese statement said.

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The six-nation arms talks were last held in November 2005, where no progress was made on implementing the September 2005 agreement where the North pledged to abandon its nuclear program in exchange for security guarantees and aid.

Just after that agreement, the North had demanded a nuclear reactor for power - a request that was quickly rejected by the other sides at the talks.

However, the North then argued that it wouldn't return to the negotiations until the U.S. desisted from a campaign to sever it from the international financial system for Pyongyang's alleged complicity in counterfeiting and money laundering to sell weapons of mass destruction. The North viewed those measures as proof of Washington's "hostile'' policy against it and thinly veiled desire for regime change.

The U.S. refused and said the issue was unrelated. To try and press its case, the North launched a series of missile in July - including a long-range model believed capable of reaching parts of the U.S.

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The North Koreans covered their cave in with bluster and threats. It is yet to be seen whether they will be serious once the get to the table or whether they will continue to pound the table and go though the motions so China can save face after the test. This story suggest it may be the latter. Meanwhile, the commander of US forces in Korea has said the US had no plans for a preemptive attack to stop the North Koreans from conducting another test.