| President Bush will not say whether U.S. | | | | we expect our friends and those sitting around |
| intelligence officials believe North Korea is planning | | | | the table with us to act in such a manner as to |
| a nuclear test. An American television network is | | | | help rid the world of the threat," he added. |
| quoting U.S. officials as saying Pyongyang may be | | | | The United States, Russia, China, Japan, and South |
| planning an underground test. | | | | Korea have been part of stalled talks with North |
| President Bush says he will not answer | | | | Korea aimed at making the entire Korean |
| hypothetical questions about North Korea's nuclear | | | | peninsula free of nuclear weapons. |
| ambitions because doing so may divulge | | | | The president spoke following reports from the |
| intelligence information. | | | | ABC television network that say North Korea |
| But he told reporters at the presidential retreat at | | | | may be planning a nuclear test. |
| Camp David that if North Korea conducts a | | | | The network quotes an unnamed senior U.S. |
| nuclear test, it would only reinforce the need for | | | | State Department official as saying the concern is |
| countries involved in six-nation talks to work | | | | based on recent activity at a suspected nuclear |
| harder to convince Pyongyang to give up its | | | | test facility in the northeast of the country. |
| nuclear weapons. | | | | That official says the information, though not |
| "If North Korea were to conduct a test, it's just a | | | | conclusive, was brought to the attention of the |
| constant reminder, for people in the neighborhood | | | | White House last week. |
| in particular, that North Korea poses a threat; and | | | | |