US debates blacklist as NKorea prepares nuclear revelation
Updated
The United States says it could take North Korea off a terrorism blacklist after, and if, Pyongyang delivers an accounting of its nuclear programs.
Washington hopes the Pyongyang will provide its long overdue "declaration" as early as Thursday, although a senior US official has already said that an inventory of Pyongyang's atomic arsenal will come later.
Asked how quickly a full accounting would trigger removal from the US list of state sponsors of terrorism, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said it could be quite soon.
"We just don't know if they're actually going to do it," said Ms Perino.
Washington also plans to remove North Korea from the Trading with the Enemy Act, a law restricting trade with countries hostile to the United States, leaving Cuba as the only country affected by that legislation.
The declaration, which is almost six months overdue, will list all nuclear material, facilities and programs.
US chief negotiator, Christopher Hill, said this week that weapons will be dealt with in the next phase.
Extent of revelations uncertain
Dr Kenneth Quinones, a former US State Department North Korea negotiator, doesn't believe North Korea will reveal all.
"I do believe the North Koreans will submit a declaration, but I very much doubt that it will be a complete declaration of North Korea's various nuclear programs and materials," Dr Quinones said.
"I am confident that North Korea will report that they have had a plutonium program based at their nuclear research centre at Yongbyon.
"They will probably declare that they have produced somewhere in the area of 135 to 140 kilograms of plutonium and that they have fabricated a number of nuclear weapons.
"But beyond that I do not expect them to go into such things as whether or not they have a highly enriched uranium program or other sensitive matters," he said.
Separately, US President George Bush sought to dampen anger from close ally Japan, which says Pyongyang must first come clean on abductions of Japanese nationals, in a telephone call with Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda.
Spokeswoman, Dana Perino, said Mr Bush stressed that he grasped "the importance of the abductee issue" for Japan.
You can find the full story at the Connect Asia website: http://radioaustralia.net.au/connectasia
