| Meeting with Asia-Pacific leaders in Chile this | | | | The ICG says Washington must also de-link |
| weekend, President Bush renewed calls for a | | | | demands for nuclear disarmament with other |
| diplomatic solution to the nuclear stalemate with | | | | concerns including missile technology control and |
| North Korea. But an influential security group says | | | | improved human rights. |
| the president will have to radically reorient his | | | | Peter Beck says the United States has to give up |
| approach if he hopes to make any headway with | | | | its broader agenda and focus on the imminent |
| Pyongyang. | | | | nuclear threat. |
| The Geneva-based International Crisis Group | | | | "Yes, everything is interconnected but the nuclear |
| issued a new eight-point plan this month for | | | | issue by itself is so complicated that it's unrealistic |
| resolving the tense nuclear standoff with North | | | | to load the agenda with human rights and other |
| Korea. | | | | concerns," added Mr. Beck. |
| The politically left-leaning organization says the | | | | There have been three rounds of largely fruitless |
| United States and its allies must establish a new | | | | talks since 2003. North Korea has so far refused |
| set of threats and rewards if they want North | | | | to attend a fourth round of talks hosted by |
| Korea to rejoin stalled six-nation disarmament | | | | Beijing. |
| talks. | | | | And the ICG says further delays only increase |
| The ICG is calling on the United States to provide | | | | the odds that Pyongyang is adding weapons to its |
| Pyongyang with a detailed energy assistance and | | | | nuclear stockpile. |
| security package available as soon as North Korea | | | | North Korea expelled U.N. atomic energy |
| disarms. North Korea has previously rejected U.S. | | | | inspectors nearly two years ago, withdrew from |
| offers that included vague promises of aid after | | | | the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and has |
| disarmament but lacked specifics. | | | | restarted its nuclear facilities it had promised to |
| The ICG plan also calls for Russia, China, South | | | | dismantle. |
| Korea and Japan to support tough new U.S.-led | | | | Pyongyang has defended its actions, saying |
| economic sanctions if Pyongyang refuses to give | | | | nuclear weapons are its only protection against a |
| up its nuclear ambitions. | | | | possible U.S.-led invasion. Washington has |
| Peter Beck, one of the principal authors of the | | | | repeatedly denied any plans for a military assault |
| new proposal, says the plan requires each of the | | | | on North Korea. |
| five countries to give something up in order to | | | | Pyongyang has also demanded massive economic |
| confront North Korea with a single voice. | | | | assistance to help rebuild its weakened economy |
| "That requires concessions by all parties but the | | | | before it will consider giving up its nuclear |
| bottom line is, if there isn't better coordination | | | | weapons. |
| between the five parties working neither the | | | | Longtime supporters of President Bush's hard-line |
| sticks nor the carrots can work effectively," he | | | | say the United States should resist changing |
| said. | | | | course or making any concessions. |
| The five countries have each pursued slightly | | | | Kim Tae-Woo, a policy expert at South Korea's |
| different approaches towards disarming North | | | | Institute for Defense Analysis, thinks it would be |
| Korea. | | | | a mistake. |
| China, one of North Korea's few communist allies, | | | | "If we solve the nuclear problems by confining the |
| has avoided openly challenging Pyongyang | | | | agenda only to nuclear issues, than what next? |
| preferring to mediate between the parties. South | | | | Will we just tolerate the North Korean human |
| Korea has fostered a more sympathetic | | | | rights problem, missiles and chemical weapons and |
| relationship with the North, offering massive aid | | | | biological weapons? That's not the answer," he |
| packages while avoiding confrontational demands. | | | | said. |
| But Japan and especially the United States have | | | | But the International Crisis Group says those |
| consistently pushed for a harder line with | | | | issues cannot be addressed until the immediate |
| Pyongyang. | | | | specter of nuclear confrontation has been |
| Washington has, so far, refused to offer any | | | | removed. |
| explicit trades in return for North Korean | | | | The group estimates that North Korea may have |
| disarmament. President Bush insists he will not | | | | developed as many as 10 nuclear bombs in the 25 |
| reward Pyongyang for breaking its international | | | | months since it was accused of having a secret |
| agreements to not have nuclear weapons. | | | | development program. |