WH wants diplomatic pressure on North Korea

Bush troubled by nuclear weapons program

From John King
CNN Washington Bureau

President Bush, said an aide, wants a diplomatic solution.

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VIDEO Japan digests the news that North Korea has been running a nuclear weapons development program. CNN's Rebecca MacKinnon reports. (October 17) PLAY VIDEO North Korea has revealed to the U.S. that it has a secret and active nuclear weapons program after it promised to never again pursue such a course. CNN's Andrea Koppel reports (October 17) PLAY VIDEO RELATED • TIME.com Indonesia Faces Its Own Bin Ladens  • Story: Pyongyang urged to stick to anti-nuke pacts  • Story: Korean War resentment still lingers  • Interactive: Nuclear Weapons: Who Has What  • Special Report: The two Koreas  1994 agreement North Korea promised to give up its nuclear weapons program and allow inspections to verify that it did not have the material such weapons would require. The country has yet to allow the inspections. Source: The Associated Press N. Korea nuclear facts North Korea launched a medium-range "test" missile over Japan in 1998. The 1994 Agreed Framework was signed by North Korea with the Clinton administration. In return, an international consortium is building new nuclear reactors in North Korea. QUICKVOTE Should the U.S. continue to negotiate with North Korea after its admission of its nuclear weapons program? Yes No VIEW RESULTS

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A high-level U.S. delegation arrived in the Chinese capital of Beijing on Thursday as the Bush administration began urgent consultations designed to pressure North Korea into abandoning its nuclear weapons program.

U.S. officials said one short-term option being considered is ending fuel assistance the United States gives to North Korea as part of the 1994 agreement in which Pyongyang renounced efforts to develop nuclear weapons.

A senior administration official said Washington also was urging governments around the world to reconsider any sales of sophisticated technology to North Korea in light of its admission that it is actively developing nuclear weapons.

This official said there was no information that North Korea had obtained key supplies with the blessing of the Russian or Chinese governments: "As a matter of government policy, no," the official said.

The official declined to elaborate, but in the past the United States has complained that military contractors in both Russia and China were involved in weapons proliferation in violation of agreements their governments had signed.

"We call on North Korea to meet its obligations .. and to end its nuclear weapons program in a way that is verifiable," the official said. "We want to resolve this peacefully. We don't want a crisis."

President Bush found the news from North Koreak "troubling" and "sobering," Scott McClellan, White House deputy press secretary, told reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Atlanta, Georgia for a GOP fundraising trip.

Key role for China

As a major supplier of food and fuel to North Korea, China is a critical player in the diplomacy just ahead. Assistant Secretaries of State John Bolton and James Kelly arrived in Beijing on Thursday to discuss the situation with Chinese officials in preparation of a meeting next week in Texas between President Bush and Chinese President Jiang Zemin.

U.S. officials say North Korea conceded October 4 it had a nuclear weapons program and also said it had "more" and "other weapons." The officials said the North Koreans did not elaborate, but one said North Korea is known to have chemical and biological weapons capabilities.

North Korea made no specific threats to use nuclear weapons, the officials said.

After their consultations in Beijing, Bolton and Kelly will split up and travel to other key capitals, including Tokyo, Seoul, Moscow and several European capitals.

Two U.S. officials who discussed the North Korea crisis with a small group of reporters at the White House said the administration had not ruled out asking for U.N. action on the North Korean admission. But it was clear from their comments, and accounts from other administration officials, that the first priority is to bring extraordinary pressure on Pyongyang from Japan, South Korea. China, Russia and European Union leaders who have had prior contacts with the North Korean government.

Officials were reluctant to offer details of U.S. intelligence about the North Korean program. But the officials did say:

Kelly traveled to Pyongyang early this month and raising the issue of the uranium enrichment program was his "foremost concern," the officials said.

In an October 3 session, a North Korean official called the allegations a "complete fabrication" and said the United States was "slandering the government and the country" of North Korea.

'U.S. to blame'

But the U.S. officials say senior North Korean officials then met through the night, and the next day a more senior North Korean official conceded that North Korea was pursuing nuclear weapons, declared the 1994 agreement null and void "and said the U.S.is to blame," an apparent reference to Bush's labeling of North Korea as part of the "axis of evil."

Kelly protested, sources said, by noting the uranium enrichment program began in the 1990s -- well before Bush came to office.

U.S.officials told the North Koreans their admission was "of grave concern" and the meeting soon ended. There have been no substantive conversations between the two governments since, and U.S.official say any dialogue is now on hold pending decisions on how to proceed and indications from North Korea as to how it will respond to demands from the United States and others that it end its nuclear weapons program and allow international inspectors into the country.

The U.S.officials said the North Koreans were "not apologetic" and "belligerent" in admitting their nuclear program. The North Koreans did not specifically threaten to use the weapons against any of their neighbors, but "promised to meet the sword with the sword," one of the U.S.officials involved in the Pyongyang talks said.

These officials said it would be speculative to say what motivated the Pyongyang to make the dramatic admission.

North Korea of late has tried to improve relations with Japan and South Korea, and U.S.officials said it would not be out of character for North Korea to now say it would end its weapons program in return for major international aid and improved diplomatic ties.

Clearly disdainful of Clinton administration overtures to Pyongyang, one of the senior officials said, "They could have learned from past experience that bad behavior gets rewarded. That is not something this administration is into."

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