Rice defends aid to N. Korea

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0507130069jul13,1,1588919.story?coll=chi-newsnationworld-hed

SEOUL -- Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Wednesday that a new wave of aid to North Korea would not jeopardize the leverage of the U.S. and other nations as they prepare to negotiate banishing nuclear weapons from the Korean Peninsula.

"We're very optimistic that our joint efforts to improve the security situation on the Korean Peninsula could, indeed, bear fruit, although there is still much work to be done," Rice said at a morning news conference. "We look forward to a strategic decision by the North Koreans to abandon their nuclear weapons program."

As Rice arrived in Seoul on the final leg of her East Asia tour, South Korean President Roh Moo Hyun revealed an incentive that enticed the North to rejoin talks on relinquishing its nuclear weapons program. South Korea would provide electricity to its communist neighbor, he said, and ultimately build transmission lines to create the first nationwide power project since the Korean War.

Since President Bush took office, the United States has rejected proposals by South Korea to use inducements and rewards to lure North Korea to the bargaining table. But Rice said the plan was a significant and creative proposal, calling it "a considerable improvement on where we have been."

[Ysolde]

1. Ya' think they finally figured out that ABC ain't working?

Anything But Clinton has only made things much, much worse on this front. Now, it looks like they're trying Clinton's way (and are making progress)!

I can't wait until we get grownups running the country again!

[Oversea Visitor]

2. Aaaah

Rice to bring rice to feed North Korea. This will creat a Condictive
environment for future talk.

Hey it make sense..... Just keep you work that it will be aid and not AID like Africa.

[oasis]

3. We were led to believe that aid to North Korea was sooooooo Clintonesque.

:shrug: