Reply #4: Some print media reporting

[Mass]

http://blog.masslive.com/thefray/2011/03/sen_john_kerry_chairing_hearin.html

Sen. John Kerry, chairing hearing on 'provocations' in Korean Peninsula, calls for bilateral talks between U.S. and North Korea
Published: Tuesday, March 01, 2011, 11:47 AM Updated: Tuesday, March 01, 2011, 12:28 PM
By S.P. Sullivan, MassLive.com
...
Massachusetts Senator John Kerry is chairing a hearing Tuesday morning to discuss "North Korean provocations" brought to a head in November by the bombardment of small South Korean island in disputed territory.
Kerry, who is chair of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, said in a statement yesterday that the U.S. "must do everything within our power to avoid further deterioration and put the Peninsula back on a path to peace and stability."
The hearing, which started at 10 a.m., is being streamed live on the U.S. Senate Commitee on Foreign Relations website.
In his opening remarks, Kerry called for "bilateral talks" between the U.S. and North Korea. He said:

Given these very real risks, the best option is to consult closely with South Korea and launch bilateral talks with North Korea when we decide the time is appropriate. Fruitful talks between the U.S. and North Korea can lay the groundwork for resumption of the Six Party Talks. Right now, we simply cannot afford to cede the initiative to North Korea and China because neither country’s interests fully coincide with ours.

Let me be clear: We must get beyond the political talking point that engaging North Korea is somehow “rewarding bad behavior.” It is not. We will set the time and place and we will negotiate in good faith. Talks will be based on our national security interests and those of our allies.

We don’t know what renewed diplomatic engagement can accomplish. We do know this: Our silence invites a dangerous situation to get worse.
Providing the position of President Barack Obama's administration, of Assistant Secretary of East Asian and Pacific Affairs Kurt M. Campbell fell short of agreeing with Kerry's position on bilateral talks between the U.S. and North Korea:

The United States remains committed to meaningful dialogue, but we will not reward North Korea for shattering the peace or defying the international community. If North Korea improves relations with South Korea and demonstrates a change in behavior, including taking irreversible steps to denuclearize, complying with international law, and ceasing provocative behavior, the United States will stand ready to move toward normalization of our relationship. However, if it maintains its path of defiance and provocative behavior and fails to comply with its obligations and commitments, it stands no chance of becoming a strong and prosperous nation.
The AFP news agency reported earlier today that the Obama administration has said that North Korea must take more concrete steps toward nuclear disarmament before bilateral talks can occur