|
Reuters
Wednesday, September 3, 2008; 4:02 AM WASHINGTON (Reuters) - North Korea has begun reassembling its Yongbyon
reactor that can make material for atomic bombs in violation of U.S.
conditions for improved diplomatic relations, Fox News reported on Tuesday.
Fox, quoting U.S. officials, did not give details of the work nor did it
cite a North Korean source, but said in its story on its website the
North Koreans likely are protesting what it called a U.S. delay in
removing the country from its list of terrorist-sponsoring nations. North Korea said on August 26 it would cease disabling its nuclear
facilities and accused the United States of violating a disarmament deal. "They've been threatening this move for some time," one U.S. official
told Fox, adding that until now the threats were seen as merely a way
for North Korean officials "to express their anger." Even now, piecing the facility back together is seen as a "symbolic
gesture" because so much already has been taken apart, Fox reported. Another U.S. official told Fox News that North Korea's reactor could be
back in operation in two to three months. The United States said last week Pyongyang's move to stop taking the
facility apart was a step backward and reiterated North Korea must
disable its facilities before it is removed from the terrorism blacklist
that restricts investment. "It is a violation of their commitments to the six-party framework. It
certainly is in violation of the principle of action for action," State
Department spokesman Robert Wood told Reuters at the time. North Korea began disabling its plutonium-producing nuclear reactor and
other facilities at its Yongbyon facility in November as a step toward
their ultimate dismantlement in exchange for economic aid and political
concessions, including removal from the U.S. terror list. Fox said the United States said in June that it would take North Korea
off the terror list after Pyongyang turned in a long-delayed account of
its nuclear programs and blew up the cooling tower at the reactor.
Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites  |
