Musharraf retains ties with N Korea despite nuclear scandal

By Andrew Ward in Seoul
Published: February 19 2004 4:00 | Last Updated: February 19 2004 4:00

Diplomats in Seoul said the US was privately putting pressure on Pakistan to provide information about Mr Khan's dealings with North Korea, to strengthen its negotiating position in next week's talks. "The big question is how much information has the US got from Pakistan?" said a senior Asian official.

"Washington needs to present some evidence that proves the HEU programme beyond doubt. "I am worried that the talks could be derailed by a clash over HEU."

Pyongyang's denials that it possesses an HEU programme have emerged as a serious obstacle to the diplomatic process because the US will not accept any settlement to end the nuclear crisis unless it includes dismantlement of the uranium enrichment facilities.

North Korea admits operating a plutonium-based nuclear programme and has offered to freeze it in return for economic rewards from the US. But Pyongyang has refused to discuss the alleged HEU programme.

It was the US allegation in October 2002 that North Korea was developing a clandestine HEU programme that caused the collapse of a 1994 arms-control deal, under which the plutonium-based facilities had been frozen. Since then, North Korea has withdrawn from the nuclear non-proliferation treaty and resumed production and reprocessing of plutonium, with some estimates that Pyongyang could now possess enough nuclear material for up to eight bombs.

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printed from Musharraf retains ties with N Korea despite nuclear scandal on 2004-04-14 02:58:04