Clinton: North Korea May Go Back On Terror List

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration wants help from U.S. allies and possibly China to cut off North Korean shipments that may be carrying nuclear technology or other weapons.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said in an interview broadcast Sunday that failing to take aggressive and effective action against North Korea could spark an arms race in northeast Asia.

"We will do everything we can to both interdict it and prevent it and shut off their flow of money," Clinton said of possible attempts by North Korea to ship nuclear material. She spoke on ABC's "This Week."

She said one of the positive developments to come from North Korea's "very provocative and belligerent behavior" is that it has brought the countries trying to deal with North Korea much closer together. Those nations include China, Japan, South Korea, and Russia.

"We are working very hard," Clinton said. "I've personally talked with all the foreign ministers."

Clinton also said the U.S. is considering adding North Korea back to a list of state sponsors of terrorism, after President Barack Obama pledged "a very hard look" at tougher measures because of the North's nuclear stance.

The communist country has conducted recent nuclear and missile tests, and there are concerns about the North's shipping nuclear material to other nations.

Obama's strong language on North Korea appeared to point toward nonmilitary penalties such as financial punishments, either within the United Nations or by Washington alone. Obama made the comments Saturday during his visit to France.

The Bush administration agreed to remove North Korea from the U.S. list of terrorist states after the North said it would dismantle its nuclear weapons facilities. It later refused to go forward with the dismantlement.

Clinton was asked about a letter that some senators wrote Obama about returning North Korea to that list.

"We're going to look at it. There's a process for it," Clinton said in the interview, taped Thursday in Egypt. "Obviously we would want to see recent evidence of their support for international terrorism."

She added, "We're just beginning to look at it. I don't have an answer for you right now."

North Korea, she said, was "taken off of the list for a purpose and that purpose is being thwarted by their actions."

Comments

[partyofone]

Please President Obama, appoint a special envoy to deal with North Koreans. Negotiations, public and private, require some skill, experience, and true diplomacy. Hillary is not up to this.

[Edwin Badulis]

This will / might work: A very private talk/meeting between kim & barack in a place of significance to both. . . with God's guidance this will absolutely work. . .THINK PEACE & PROSPERITY. . .Kim think about your people. . .it's been a very long long time.. . .it's time.

[meyek]

in spite of all of the anti-social behavior on the part north korea, they are not terrorists.

[Coinyer101]

what good would that do? they are not really terro rists in the current definition of the term. They may proliferate weapons ,but, so do we. Just break all contact with them ,and let China feed them ,if they don't want to talk. Keep our eye on 'em, and when they make a move, make them pay.

[muckdog]

Wow, that'll scare them. "Anything but The List!"

[cjk002]

Being placed on that list limits the kind and amount of aid and diplomatic access North Korea will get. It's an isolating step that could force them to change their tune. If it wasn't such a big deal, then why do you think they were trying to get off of it?

[partyofone]

but they have the two convicted journalists as bargaining chips, now.