ID :
50090
Thu, 03/12/2009 - 08:40
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/50090
The shortlink copeid
U.S. dismisses N. Korea's claim war games are rehearsal for invasion
By Hwang Doo-hyong
WASHINGTON, March 11 (Yonhap) -- The United States Wednesday dismissed as
groundless North Korea's claim that the ongoing joint military drills between
South Korea and the U.S. are preparations for an invasion of the communist state.
"Well, I mean, those charges are baseless. They're nonsense, frankly," State
Department spokesman Robert Wood said in a daily news briefing. "What isn't
helpful is this type of bellicose rhetoric coming out of the North."
North Korea has said the annual war games, which began Monday, are a rehearsal of
an invasion of North Korea, and threatened South Korean commercial airliners
flying near the North's airspace during the 12-day exercise. Pyongyang also cut
off a military hotline with South Korea in protest.
"They've been saying a number of things with regard to the United States and the
Republic of Korea planning or undertaking these exercises and how this is a
threat to North Korea," Wood said. "Indeed, these exercises, which take place, as
you know, annually, are not a threat to the North."
The spokesman urged the North not to increase tensions on the Korean Peninsula
but to "comply with its international obligations with regard to the six-party
framework."
The latest round of the six-party talks was stalled in December as Pyongyang
refused to allow international inspectors to take samples from nuclear facilities
to verify its past and current nuclear activities.
"As you know, we were waiting for the North to agree in writing to a verification
protocol," Wood said. "The North was not willing to do that. We're still very
interested in seeing the North come back to the table, so that we can have
further discussions that will eventually get us to the denuclearization of the
Korean Peninsula."
A six-party deal calls for the North's eventual denuclearization in return for a
hefty economic aid, diplomatic recognition by the U.S. and its allies and
establishment of a permanent peace regime to replace an armistice that left the
two Koreas technically still at war at the end of the three-year Korean conflict
in 1953.
Wood said he hopes the multilateral nuclear talks will resume soon.
"Well, I mean, it's certainly possible," he said. "A lot of it will depend on the
North and whether it's willing to engage."
hdh@yna.co.kr
(END)
WASHINGTON, March 11 (Yonhap) -- The United States Wednesday dismissed as
groundless North Korea's claim that the ongoing joint military drills between
South Korea and the U.S. are preparations for an invasion of the communist state.
"Well, I mean, those charges are baseless. They're nonsense, frankly," State
Department spokesman Robert Wood said in a daily news briefing. "What isn't
helpful is this type of bellicose rhetoric coming out of the North."
North Korea has said the annual war games, which began Monday, are a rehearsal of
an invasion of North Korea, and threatened South Korean commercial airliners
flying near the North's airspace during the 12-day exercise. Pyongyang also cut
off a military hotline with South Korea in protest.
"They've been saying a number of things with regard to the United States and the
Republic of Korea planning or undertaking these exercises and how this is a
threat to North Korea," Wood said. "Indeed, these exercises, which take place, as
you know, annually, are not a threat to the North."
The spokesman urged the North not to increase tensions on the Korean Peninsula
but to "comply with its international obligations with regard to the six-party
framework."
The latest round of the six-party talks was stalled in December as Pyongyang
refused to allow international inspectors to take samples from nuclear facilities
to verify its past and current nuclear activities.
"As you know, we were waiting for the North to agree in writing to a verification
protocol," Wood said. "The North was not willing to do that. We're still very
interested in seeing the North come back to the table, so that we can have
further discussions that will eventually get us to the denuclearization of the
Korean Peninsula."
A six-party deal calls for the North's eventual denuclearization in return for a
hefty economic aid, diplomatic recognition by the U.S. and its allies and
establishment of a permanent peace regime to replace an armistice that left the
two Koreas technically still at war at the end of the three-year Korean conflict
in 1953.
Wood said he hopes the multilateral nuclear talks will resume soon.
"Well, I mean, it's certainly possible," he said. "A lot of it will depend on the
North and whether it's willing to engage."
hdh@yna.co.kr
(END)
