N.Korea says U.S. has nuclear bomb in South: Tass
Pastor Dale Morgan
N.Korea says U.S. has nuclear bomb in South: Tass*
Reuters
Thursday, December 7, 2006; 2:30 PM
MOSCOW (Reuters) - North Korea believes Washington has atomic weapons
deployed in South Korea and it will not halt its nuclear program as long
as this threat persists, Itar-Tass news agency quoted a North Korean
source as saying on Thursday.
"(North Korea) has practically no doubts that there are U.S. nuclear
weapons in the south of the Korean Peninsula," the source told Tass.
"North Korea is forced, in the interests of self-defense, to enhance its
nuclear capability."
"Without eliminating the threat from the United States and without
relevant guarantees being offered, Pyongyang will not agree to give up
its right to possess a defensive nuclear shield whatever the pressure
from outside."
Asked about the report, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack
strongly rejected it, adding these were old claims.
"The United States has affirmed it has no nuclear weapons on the Korean
Peninsula and it has no intention to attack or invade the DPRK with
nuclear or conventional weapons," McCormack told reporters in Washington.
North Korea drew international condemnation when it conducted a nuclear
test on October 9. It has since agreed to return to six-party
disarmament talks it had boycotted for a year.
Despite a flurry of diplomacy, no date has been set for the talks, which
involve the two Koreas, the United States, China, Japan and Russia.
The source did not link Pyongyang's allegations about a U.S. nuclear
weapon directly to the failure to restart the talks. But the source
underlined North Korea's conditions for their resumption.
"The North Korean side is ready in principle for such talks, but because
of U.S. position the new round is being postponed," he said.
"Until the atmosphere of pressure eases and until all our financial
operations blocked by Washington are released, we will not join the
six-way talks," the source added.
Russian news agencies are among the few media outlets which have regular
access to official circles in reclusive North Korea.
(Additional reporting by Sue Pleming in Washington)