From: "Magnus Bernhardsen" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [Juche] North Korea urges US to remove its name from terror list Tuesday November 13, 2:41 PM North Korea urges US to remove its name from terror list North Korea's state media urged Washington to drop Pyongyang from a list of states said to support terrorism, citing its decision to join two international anti-terrorism treaties. The official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said Washington should not "repeat only empty words" and should take "even a single practical measure at least" if it wanted to improve relations with Pyongyang. "The US was also reported to welcome the measure taken by the DPRK (North Korea). But it is undisguisedly inciting mistrust and antagonism towards the DPRK, still keeping it on the 'list of sponsors of terrorism'", KCNA said. North Korea sees the US blacklist as one of the main obstacles in improving relations between the Cold War enemies. The North eased its anti-US campaign this week after Washington welcomed Pyongyang's decision to sign the UN convention aimed at starving terrorists of their funding and another pact against hostage taking. KCNA said the North's decision meant North Korea has basically joined up to all existing major international anti-terrorism conventions. Pyongyang will cooperate with the international community in the fight against terrorism, "firmly adhering to the principled position on terrorism in the future, too," it said. On Monday, Rodong Sinmun, the newspaper of the North's ruling communist party, urged Washington to foster an atmosphere of dialogue and build confidence. Rodong, however, accused Washington of putting US troops in South Korea on alert and deploying additional forces and equipment in forward areas. It also insisted the United Sates had hurt the North's feelings by adding the country to a list of nations of "particular concern" over religious repression. US-North Korean ties have been tense since President George W. Bush took office in January and suspended dialogue amid a review of US policy toward Pyongyang In June Bush offered to resume talks, urging the North to reduce conventional forces and halt the spread of weapons of mass destruction. But the North has yet to respond to the US offer. KCNA said "bilateral confidence alone" would make the dialogue constructive. It accused the United States of "unilaterally resorting to a violent retaliatory war" in Afghanistan after the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington. "Dominationist high-handed and arbitrary practices, national and social inequality, distrust, conflict and antagonism caused by religious prejudice and extremism ... are the root cause of international terrorism," it added. _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki Phone +358-40-7177941 Fax +358-9-7591081 http://www.kominf.pp.fi General class struggle news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe mails to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Geopolitical news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] __________________________________________________
