Bush offers aid olive branch to North Korea

President George Bush said today he is prepared to reconsider a plan to give North Korea energy and food aid if the communist regime disarms its nuclear weapons programme.

Hoping to ease a growing crisis, the president said in the Oval Office: “I view this as an opportunity to bind together nations in the neighbourhood and around the world to make it clear to the North Koreans that we expect this issue to be resolved peacefully and we expect them to disarm – we expect them not to develop nuclear weapons.”

“If they so choose to do so – their choice – then I will reconsider whether or not we’ll start the bold initiative that I talked to Secretary (Colin) Powell about,” Bush said.

Earlier, the president said his initiative included talks about food and energy aid because the United States cares “about the suffering of the North Korean people.”

Bush spoke after US Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly suggested in Asia that North Korea could get energy aid if it dismantles its nuclear weapons programmes. The White House denied that Kelly’s offer amounted to negotiating with Pyongyang, something Bush vowed never to do.

Asked about that charge, the president explained that he had authorised Secretary of State Powell last autumn to offer North Korea assistance, but then Pyongyang acknowledged it was producing nuclear weapons in violation of a 1994 agreement with the United States.

“People say, ‘Are you willing to talk to North Korea?’ Of course we are. But what this nation won’t do is be blackmailed,” Bush said.

Earlier, the White House welcomed China’s offer to host talks between the US and North Korea but stopped short of calling the development a breakthrough in the peninsula’s nuclear standoff.

“We welcome this step,” spokesman Ari Fleischer said. “It’s appropriate for these officials to talk, and we believe the message that’s been given (by allies) is very unified in regards to our approach to North Korea – the world has condemned North Korea’s actions.”

Asked whether China’s overture was a step toward a solution, Fleischer said, however, “That’s up to North Korea. We’ll find out. We hope so.”

North Korea warned it was running out of patience with Washington, threatening to exercise new “options.”

A vaguely worded statement from the North did not specify what options it was considering, but suggested the isolationist communist nation was prepared to escalate the confrontation.

Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly left for China today after assuring South Korean officials that Washington would stick to diplomacy to seek a peaceful settlement to the crisis over the North’s drive to develop nuclear weapons.

Earlier, Kelly held out the prospect of energy assistance to the impoverished North if it verifiably gives up its nuclear ambitions. North Korea suffers an acute energy shortage.

The communist country withdrew from the landmark Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty last week and has threatened to resume long-range missile tests and to begin reprocessing spent fuel rods from its nuclear reactor to make atomic bombs.

Talks also were set for London tomorrow. Under-secretary of State John Bolton, who has been in Asia talking to leaders there, will meet with British and French officials on how to resolve the North Korean dispute.