WP: Bush* Floats Idea of N. Korean Deal

[kskiska]

Security Issue Discussed, Japanese Say

TOKYO, Oct. 17 -- President Bush told Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi of Japan in a private meeting Friday that he ruled out a direct nonaggression pact with North Korea, which North Korean negotiators have been seeking as the core of any agreement to dismantle their nuclear weapons program, Japanese officials said.

In an indication that Bush might be willing to find common ground with Asian allies who have been pressing the administration to address North Korea's fears of possible U.S. aggression, Bush said he "would like to think of ways to address North Korea's security concerns," the Japanese officials said.

A senior Bush administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, would not comment on the Japanese account, but did not dispute it. Secretary of State Colin L. Powell told news agency reporters last week that his staff was working on drafts of a multi-country security guarantee that would stop short of a bilateral nonaggression treaty but could satisfy the North Koreans and lead them to agree to verifiably abandon nuclear weapons development.

(snip)

Bush praised Koizumi for his $1.5 billion pledge to help fund the reconstruction of Iraq, and aides said the White House would use the commitment to try to persuade other countries to contribute. Koizumi suggested without giving details that he intended to send a small contingent of non-combat troops to Iraq, in what would be Japan's most extensive military operation since World War II. His administration announced Wednesday that Japan would send $1.5 billion to Iraq next year and contribute up to $5 billion over four years.

A Bush administration official briefing reporters after the meeting said that the White House viewed Japan's pledge "as a reminder to the rest of the world that there are important players that are willing to step up to the plate."

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A43453-2003Oct17.html

[Nottingham]

1. Now Bush wants to make a deal! Hmmmm!

Why does that sound Bizarre :bounce: Shouldn't we just :nuke: em

[kodi]

2. 33 months wasted by bush and we are now back to clinton's plans of '96

this is what ideology does to a person, it makes them stupid.

[InkAddict]

3. Well, golly...he found himself some bigger pigeons

or maybe he's decided he's impoverished too many Americans to hold onto his shiny brass ring. Could be a language barrier??? Don't Asians speak Texan? Well they better learn or BAR-B-QUE!

And let's see here, another anonymous official disputing the king's declaration...more semantics - nah, he really didn't mean it like that. WTF!

[grilled onions]

4. Plates

Why is it everything in * world has to be worded like a sports report? "steppin' up to the plate". The soldiers have already stepped up to the plate while the only "plate" he syeps up to is a fund raising dinner plate!