Washington: US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Tuesday defended the Bush administration's refusal to hold bilateral talks with North Korea in the face of Pyongyang's claim of a successful nuclear test.
In an interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer, Rice said having direct negotiations with North Korea over its nuclear program, instead of negotiating in concert with its neighbors, would not be the right approach because the US has less leverage to ensure the Communist regime lives up to its agreements.
"The US tried direct dialogue with the North Koreans in the '90s, and that resulted in the North Koreans signing onto agreements that they then didn't keep," she said.
"And the US didn't have the force of others, like China and South Korea, to say to the North Koreans, 'That was an agreement that you should have kept.'
"It's important not to go back down that road. It's important to bring the weight of China and South Korea and Japan and Russia to bear."
North Korea's nuclear test Monday was met with resounding criticism throughout the world. However, the test was not unexpected, as the country had warned of its plans a week ago.
US intelligence sources on Tuesday expressed doubts about the magnitude of the blast, saying it was relatively small – an indication that the test may not have gone as planned.
North Korea's official state-run news agency KCNA reported that "the nuclear test was conducted with indigenous wisdom and technology 100 percent. It marks a historic event as it greatly encouraged and pleased the KPA (Korean People's Army) and people that have wished to have powerful self-reliant defense capability."
Rice said North Korean leader Kim Jong Il wanted a bilateral deal with the United States "because he doesn't want to face the pressure of other states that have leverage."
"What Kim Jong Il should understand is that if he verifiably gives up his nuclear weapons program, there is a better path," Rice said. "There's a better path through negotiations. There's a better path to an opening to the international system. There's a better path for his people who are oppressed and downtrodden and hungry."
The Bush administration has insisted any negotiations between the United States and North Korea occur within the framework of the six-party talks that also involve China, Russia, South Korea and Japan.
The North Koreans withdrew from the six-party talks last year and have been pressing for direct negotiations with the US outside of that framework.
The Bush approach differs from that of the Clinton administration, which negotiated directly with North Korea, resulting in a 1994 agreement that stipulated Pyongyang would not pursue development of nuclear weapons.
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