N. Korea Claim: We Have Nukes

[David]

AP


North Korea says it has nuclear weapons and will no longer participate in the six-nation talks aimed at getting it to abandon its nuclear ambitions.

Diplomats have said that North Korea has acknowledged having nuclear arms in private talks, but Thursday's announcement is the first time the communist government has said so directly to the public.

"We had already taken the resolute action of pulling out of the (Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty) and have manufactured nukes for self-defense to cope with the Bush administration's ever-more undisguised policy to isolate and stifle the DPRK," the North Korean Foreign Ministry said in a statement carried by the state-run Korean Central News Agency.

DPRK refers to the country's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

North Korea's "nuclear weapons will remain (a) nuclear deterrent for self-defense under any circumstances," the ministry said. "The present reality proves that only powerful strength can protect justice and truth."

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, in Luxembourg Thursday as part of her first diplomatic mission in her new post, was quick to comment on the announcement from North Korea.

"If in fact this is the case, then the North Koreans are only deepening their isolation because everyone in the international community, and most especially North Korea?s neighbors, have been very clear that there needs to be no nuclear weapons on the Korean peninsula in order to maintain stability in that region," said Rice. "We will consult with the other members of the six party talks - the Russians, the Chinese, the Japanese, the South Koreans - and talk about where we go next."

Since 2003, the United States, the two Koreas, China, Japan and Russia have held three rounds of talks in Beijing aimed at persuading the North to abandon nuclear weapons development in return for economic and diplomatic rewards. But no significant progress has been made.

A fourth round scheduled for September was canceled when North Korea refused to attend, citing what it called a "hostile" U.S. policy.

Rice also refuted North Korea's contention that it needs nuclear weapons for "self-defense."

"The North Koreans have no reason to believe that anyone wants to attack them," said Rice. "The president of the United States said in South Korea that the United States has no intention to attack North Korea. They?ve been told they can have multilateral security assurances if they will make the important decision to give up their nuclear weapons program."

Thursday's statement came after President Bush started his second term last month by refraining from direct criticism of North Korea - raising hopes that the North would return to the stalled nuclear talks. But North Korea said it had little hope for improved ties during President Bush's second term office.

"We have wanted the six-party talks but we are compelled to suspend our participation in the talks for an indefinite period till we have recognized that there is justification for us to attend the talks," the North said Thursday.

North Korea said it came to its decision because "the U.S. disclosed its attempt to topple the political system in the DPRK at any cost, threatening it with a nuclear stick."

Still, North Korea said it retained its "principled stand to solve the issue through dialogue and negotiations and its ultimate goal to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula remain unchanged."