It is reassuring to know that North Korea has taken this critical step to share information regarding its nuclear program with the rest of the world. This signals an important step toward peace and cooperation and paves the way for taking North Korea off the state sponsor of terror list. This move will serve to benefit the North Korean people who remain isolated, impoverished and toil under unacceptable living conditions. In the past North Korea has backslid on disarmament commitments but I am hopeful that this disclosure can be the impetus for North Korea to take the vital remaining steps it needs to reintegrate itself into the world community.

The subsequent destruction of the cooling tower at Yonbyon on Friday is an important step in proving that North Korea is committed to dismantling its nuclear program. But like removing North Korea from the terrorist list, it is neither a final nor irreversible step. North Korea maintains significant capabilities and weapons that must be accounted for. Similarly, North Korea remains subject to a raft of sanctions that give the United States significant leverage over North Korea’s ability to receive loans from international financial institutions.

While the data North Korea has provided on its plutonium production history is welcome, I still have remaining concerns about its uranium production and the extent of its proliferation activities. North Korea must be irrevocably committed to ceasing its nuclear weapons activities and removing all spent and fresh fuel from its Yongbyon plutonium facility if it is to become a responsible member of the international community.

This administration which did the right thing in embracing North Korea’s overture, and the next President will have to keep up the momentum through sustained diplomacy that knows how to reward and apply pressure at the right times.

This entry was posted on Saturday, June 28th, 2008 at 12:00 pm and is filed under Uncategorized .