North Korea Rejects Diplomacy With The U.S..

The European Union is set to impose tougher new sanctions upon the regime in North Korea. Reuters.

CNN: North Korea rejects diplomacy with US for now, source says

Washington (CNN)A North Korean official reaffirmed Pyongyang's commitment to developing a long-range intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching "all the way to the East coast of the mainland US," on Monday, telling CNN that the rogue nation is currently not interested in diplomacy with the US until it achieves that goal.

North Korea is not ruling out diplomacy, but "before we can engage in diplomacy with the Trump administration, we want to send a clear message that the DPRK has a reliable defensive and offensive capability to counter any aggression from the United States," the official said.

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WNU Editor: If this CNN report is true, then President Trump, President Obama, Japan and South Korea have been right .... Is Trying To Talk With North Korea A Waste Of Time? (October 1, 2017). There is also (IMHO) a lot of truth to this observation .... N.K. unlikely to talk until securing ICBM capability that levels playing field: Robert Gallucci (Yonhap News Agency). More here .... North Korea Unlikely to Negotiate Until It Can Hit US With Nukes, Says Former Ambassador (Epoch Times). In the meantime the North Korean narrative is to blame the U.S. for everything .... North Korea Says It Tested Its Most Powerful Nuclear Bomb Yet Because of the U.S.’ ‘Belligerent Policy’ (Newsweek).

U.S. To Ban Americans On Travelling To North Korea

L.A. Times: State Department to ban Americans from travelling to North Korea

The State Department said Friday it will prohibit U.S. citizens from traveling to North Korea starting late next month, citing the risk of arrest and imprisonment by the authoritarian regime.

The move follows the death of an American student last month who was imprisoned for nearly 18 months in Pyongyang before he was flown home to Ohio in a coma.

The State Department long has advised Americans not to visit but the decision by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson flatly bars use of U.S. passports "to travel in, through, or to North Korea," spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement.

Several hundred Americans visit North Korea each year on tour groups that specialize in the country. Some aid workers, journalists and academics also travel there.

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More News On Reports That The U.S. Will Banning Americans From Travelling To North Korea

North Korea tourism: US to ban Americans from visiting -- BBC
U.S. State Dept to ban American travel to North Korea -- Reuters
State Department: U.S. to block Americans from traveling to North Korea -- Washington Post
US to ban Americans from visiting North Korea -- DW
US to bar Americans from traveling to North Korea -- ABC news
U.S. Bars Travel to North Korea After Student Visitor's Death -- Bloomberg

NBA Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman Is Heading To North Korea

CNN: Exclusive: Dennis Rodman heading to North Korea

Hong Kong and Washington (CNN)NBA Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman is expected to arrive in North Korea Tuesday, according to two officials in that country who spoke to CNN.

CNN spotted Rodman at Beijing International Airport, where he declined to answer questions. Rodman would be arriving in Pyongyang at a time of heightened tension between Washington and Pyongyang, which is currently detaining four Americans.

It's unclear what the purpose of Rodman's visit to the secretive country could be, but the eccentric former basketball player -- and a former contestant on Donald Trump's pre-presidency reality TV show "Celebrity Apprentice" -- is one of the only Americans to have met current North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un.

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Update #1: North Korea: Dennis Rodman making return trip to communist nation (FOX News)
Update #2: Dennis Rodman headed to North Korea: report (The Hill)

WNU Editor: This is his fifth visit to North Korea.

Planned Back-Channel Talks Between US And North Korea Have Been Cancelled

North Korea (L) and U.S. flags © Reuters

Straits Times/New York Times: US axes North Korea talks after Kim Jong Nam murder

BEIJING (NYTIMES) - After approving plans on Friday (Feb 24) for informal talks in New York between a North Korean delegation and former US officials, the Trump administration reversed course hours later, withdrawing approval for the North Koreans' visas, said two people who were to take part in the planned talks.

The schedule called for the two sides to meet in early March, and arrangements were underway for the six-member North Korean group, led by Choe Son Hui, who runs the US affairs bureau of the North's Foreign Ministry, to travel to New York.

The organiser of the talks, the National Committee on American Foreign Policy, led by Donald S. Zagoria, was told by the State Department on Friday morning that the visas would be granted.

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WNU Editor: These back-channels are always important in keeping the peace. This cancellation is a bad sign on where U.S. - North Korea relations are at the moment.

Update: Not surprised about this .... Full US Review of Policy Toward North Korea Expected (VOA).

More News On Planned Back-Channel Talks Between US And North Korea Being Cancelled

State Dept. halts plan for back-channel US-North Korea talks: report -- The Hill
First planned North Korea-U.S. contact in Trump administration canceled: WSJ -- Reuters
Unofficial US-North Korea talks dropped after State Dept denies visa to top official – report -- RT
Informal US-North Korea Talks Scrapped Over Visa Denial to Korean Diplomat -- Sputnik

President-Elect Trump Lashes Out At China For Not Doing Enough To Rein In North Korea

North Korea just stated that it is in the final stages of developing a nuclear weapon capable of reaching parts of the U.S. It won't happen!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2017

North Korea just stated that it is in the final stages of developing a nuclear weapon capable of reaching parts of the U.S. It won't happen!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2017

The Telegraph: Donald Trump hits out at China over North Korea and dismisses Pyongyang's nuclear threat

Donald Trump has criticised China for not doing enough to control North Korea, in his latest barbs on Twitter aimed at Beijing.

Weeks after using the social media site to lash out at the country over its currency and stance on Taiwan, the US president-elect took aim at China on Monday for benefiting from trade with the US while not doing its bit to rein in Pyongyang.

"China has been taking out massive amounts of money & wealth from the US in totally one-sided trade, but won't help with North Korea. Nice!," he tweeted.

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More News On President-Elect Trump Lashing Out At China For Not Doing Enough To Rein In North Korea

Donald Trump Chides North Korea, China on Twitter -- WSJ
Trump says China 'won't help' with North Korea -- Reuters
Trump hits back at North Korea, China in tweets -- CNBC
Donald Trump blasts China over North Korea -- Financial Review
Trump: North Korea will be stopped -- Politico
Facing growing North Korea nuke threat, Trump vows: 'It won't happen!' -- CNN
Why Donald Trump should make North Korea a top priority -- Cory Gardner, CNN

North Korea Issues Warning To President-Elect Trump

KCNA / Reuters

Washington Times: North Korea warns Donald Trump to end U.S.’s ‘hostile policy and nuclear threats’

As uncertainty swirls around President-elect Donald Trump’s plan for dealing with North Korea, the rogue government in Pyongyang isn’t waiting, issuing a lengthy demand that the incoming administration halt Washington’s “hostile policy and nuclear threats” against the secretive nation.

North Korea’s increasingly menacing nuclear provocations are justifiable responses to “unprecedented recklessness” by the U.S. and its allies, according to a nine-page statement circulated Monday by the North Korean Foreign Ministry.

The release did not mention Mr. Trump by name but was explicitly critical of President Obama and appeared to be written as a warning to the incoming president to abandon the current administration’s approach.

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More News On What Will U.S. - North Korean Relations Be Under A Trump Presidency

North Korea Issues Warning to Trump -- US News and World Report
North Korea calls for the US to stop attempting to 'overthrow' Kim Jong-un abandon its 'unprecedented recklessness and nuclear threats' -- Daily Mail
Kim Jong Un Warns US To Stop 'Hostile Nuclear Threats,' Slams Obama Administration -- International Business Times
Former U.S. official calls for new North Korea approach -- UPI
Barack Obama Warns Donald Trump on North Korea Threat -- WSJ
Under Trump, America can defuse the Korean nuclear crisis – with help from China and Russia -- South China Morning Post
U.S. expert urges Trump to use negotiating skills to cut deal with N. Korea -- Yonhap News Agency
Can Trump Make a Deal With North Korea? -- Joel S. Wit and Richard Sokolsky, The Atlantic

U.S. And North Korean Officials Pursuing Peace Talks?

A North Korean delegation led by its deputy foreign minister held talks with former government officials of the United States in Malaysia for a second day on Saturday to discuss pending issues such as the North's nuclear and missile tests. / Yonhap

Korea Times: N. Korean diplomats meet with ex-US officials in Malaysia

A North Korean delegation led by its deputy foreign minister held talks with former government officials of the United States in Malaysia for a second day on Saturday to discuss pending issues such as the North's nuclear and missile tests.

The U.S.-North Korea contact, although it is informal or unofficial, came after North Korea conducted its fifth and most powerful nuclear test in September, just eight months after its previous nuke test.

"I came here through Beijing," the North's deputy ambassador to the United Nations Jang Il-hun told Yonhap News Agency. As for topics discussed during the dialogue, he said the two sides talked about several "pending issues and each other's thoughts on them."

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Update #1: Informal Talks between US and North Korea over Denuclearization hit Big Snag (China Topix)
Update #2: US Delegate: N. Korea Calls for Peace Treaty at Kuala Lumpur Track 2 Talks (KBS)
Update #3: US exploring new options for N. Korean policy (Korea Times)
Update #4: ‘Peace Treaty’ on the Horizon? North Korea, Ex-US Officials Huddle in Malaysia (Sputnik).

WNU Editor: The U.S. Government is pouring "cold water" on these talks .... U.S. gov't dismisses rare talks involving N.K. diplomats as 'Track 2' meeting (Yonhap News Agency). The South Koreans are very sceptical .... Seoul sees little progress at informal US-NK talks (Korea Herald).

What's my take .... it looks like the back channels between the U.S. and North Korea are very active right now.

North Korea State Media Endorses 'Wise' Donald Trump Over 'Dull' Hillary Clinton

Republican U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump holds a rally with supporters in San Diego, May 27, 2016. PHOTO: REUTERS/JONATHAN ERNST

ABC News: North Korean Newspaper Endorses 'Wise' Donald Trump Over 'Dull' Hillary Clinton

Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has received his latest endorsement from an unlikely source: North Korea.

Official state-run North Korean newspaper DPRK Today ran an editorial today praising Trump as a “wise politician” and “far-sighted candidate.”

“The president that U.S. citizens must vote for is not that dull Hillary but Trump, who spoke of holding direct conversation with North Korea,” the editorial said.

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WNU Editor: More fuel to the fire for the anti-Trumpers. But politics aside .... this looks like a major reversal for North Korea on an earlier Donald Trump suggestion. It appears that North Korea is now hinting that they are open to Donald Trump's earlier suggestions that he is willing to talk directly to North Korea .... US election: Donald Trump open to talks with North Korea (BBC), even though they had rejected when it was first made .... North Korean envoy rejects Trump overture to meet leader (Reuters). My advice to Donald Trump .... do not take the bait.

More News On North Korea State Media Endorsing Donald Trump Over Hillary Clinton

North Korean state media offers support for ‘wise politician’ Donald Trump -- Washington Post
North Korea State Media Praises Donald Trump as a ‘Wise Politician’ -- Time
North Korean state paper praises Trump -- Politico
North Korea endorses Donald Trump and rejects ‘dull’ Hillary Clinton -- The Independent

Is North Korea Now Willing To Enter Into Talks With The U.S.?

President Barack Obama is briefed by Lt. Col. Ed Taylor as he views the DMZ from Observation Post Ouellette at Camp Bonifas, Republic of Korea, March 25, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

Jonathan Broder, Newsweek: Dear Barack Obama, Kim Jong Un Wants to Talk

On a cold afternoon in February, several former American officials hurried to the Hilton hotel in Berlin, a city long known for its Cold War spies and intrigue. They had traveled there for a private meeting with senior representatives from North Korea, the most reclusive government in the world. Over the next two days, the Americans gathered in one of the hotel’s modern conference rooms and listened to a surprising new proposal. Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un, the North Koreans said, wanted to resume negotiations in hopes of ending decades of hostility between the two countries.

The timing was significant. A month earlier, the U.S. had agreed to talks to formally end the Korean War, but that effort collapsed when Washington demanded the North’s nuclear weapons program be part of the discussions. A few days later, the Hermit Kingdom, officially known as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), set off what it claimed was a hydrogen bomb at an underground site in the country’s rugged northeastern mountains. That nuclear test, the country’s fourth, left U.S. officials scrambling for new ways to deal with the threat from one of the world’s last communist regimes.

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WNU Editor: My Chinese contacts have been telling me for the past year that the U.S. and its allies in Asia would be foolish to trust North Korea .... and doubly foolish to enter into talks with them. Their advice is to leave them alone, and hope that with time they would start to reform their government and economy. What's my take .... my Chinese friends do have a point .... but if there is a chance to lessen tensions on the Korean peninsula I say take it, talking (even if nothing is accomplished) is usually a better policy than telling them to "buzz-off".

Secret U.S. - North Korea Peace Talks Collapsed Days Before The Last North Korean Nuclear Test

Kim Hong-Ji, Reuters

FOX News/Wall Street Journal: US, North Korea agreed to peace talks before latest nuclear test

Days before North Korea’s latest nuclear-bomb test, the Obama administration secretly agreed to talks to try to formally end the Korean War, dropping a longstanding condition that Pyongyang first take steps to curtail its nuclear arsenal.

Instead the U.S. called for North Korea’s atomic-weapons program to be simply part of the talks. Pyongyang declined the counter-proposal, according to U.S. officials familiar with the events. Its nuclear test on Jan. 6 ended the diplomatic gambit.

The episode, in an exchange at the United Nations, was one of several unsuccessful attempts that American officials say they made to discuss denuclearization with North Korea during President Barack Obama’s second term while also negotiating with Iran over its nuclear program.

The State Department on Sunday acknowledged the U.S. exchange with North Korea, saying it took place in accordance with longstanding U.S. goals.

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More News On U.S. - North Korea Peace Talks Collapsing Days Before The Last North Korean Nuclear Test

U.S. rejected North Korea peace talks offer before last nuclear test: State Department -- Reuters
US rejected North Korea peace treaty bid: State Dept -- AFP
U.S. agreed to North Korea peace talks days before nuclear test: report -- The Hill
U.S. Dropped North Korea Peace Talk Plan After Missile Test -- Bloomberg
US confirms it rejected North Korean peace treaty proposal -- DW
Secret US-N.Korea Peace Treaty Talks Failed Before Pyongyang’s Nuclear Test -- Sputnik

Americans Congratulate North Korea !?!?!?!

From YouTube: North Korea is claiming that they successfully detonated their first hydrogen bomb. You’d think that the idea that they might have an H bomb would be somewhat alarming to those of us who are here on the West coast, but we went out on the street and it seems like if you ask people a question in a cheerful enough way, we will offer congratulations for just about anything.

WNU Editor: We are so doomed.

My Prediction On What Will Be The U.S. And Chinese Response To North Korea's Nuclear Test

Kim Jong-un signs the order for the nuclear test. KCNA

The Guardian: North Korea nuclear test meets with familiar response from White House

Obama administration greets fourth test in a decade with usual approach of ‘strategic patience’, as Republicans once again call for harsher measures.

Barack Obama’s administration has greeted North Korea’s fourth nuclear test in a decade with the same mix of condemnation, exasperation and pleas for collective action prompted by Pyongyang’s previous nuclear detonations.

Once again, US officials said they refused to accept North Korea as a nuclear state – even though two decades of diplomacy, sanctions, and threats have failed to reverse the country’s nuclear programme.

An emergency meeting of the UN security council is expected to add economic sanctions atop longstanding ones intended to punish Kim Jong-un’s nuclear violations. A senior US State Department official said: “We would like to see additional sanctions that are very tough to continue to hold this regime to account.”

Update: Some tension, but trade uninterrupted at China-North Korea border (Reuters)

WNU Editor: Nothing will change. But expect more U.S. military personnel and equipment to be deployed, weapons to be sold, and a greater international focus on North Korea. But the Chinese are going to be miffed for a few months.

Should President Obama Have Focused More On Making A Nuclear Deal With North Korean Than Iran?

Washington Post: North Korea got less attention as Obama focused on Iran nuke deal

As President Obama focused intently on locking in a high-stakes nuclear deal with Iran, his administration pursued a decidedly less-clear strategy on containing North Korea, a rogue state that already possesses an atomic weapon.

This week, Pyongyang rattled the United States and its Asian allies by claiming to have successfully tested a hydrogen bomb, an act that, if confirmed, would represent a major step for that nation’s nuclear weapons arsenal. Even if the bomb turns out to be less powerful than advertised, the test alone highlighted a conundrum for a president who has made nuclear disarmament a cornerstone of his foreign-policy agenda.

The White House quickly condemned the test as a “provocative and flagrant” violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions and promised to pursue punitive sanctions. But the unwillingness of North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un to respond to international pressure in a fashion similar to the government in Iran has left the Obama administration with few obvious options and opened the president to criticism Wednesday that he has been too cautious in his approach.

WNU Editor: I personally doubt that any U.S. action would have made a difference .... North Korea is one unstable and unpredictable country. But having said that, there is going to be some political blow-back for Hillary Clinton .... Political fallout for Hillary Clinton after North Korea's nuke test (CNN) ... albeit this is a story that the voters will probably forget by November.

U.S. - North Korea In 'Secret Talks'

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (C) visits the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun at midnight on Tuesday on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the demise of President Kim Il Sung in this photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA)

Daniel Halper, Weekly Standard: Report: Secret 'Talks About Talks' Taking Place Between U.S. and North Korea

WNU Editor: These talks have been "on and off" for as long as I can remember. These "secret" news are nothing new.

US 'Strategic Patience' Policy Toward North Korea Not Working

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un observes a shelling drill of a long-range artillery sub-unit in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency late last week. (KCNA/Reuters)

US 'Strategic Patience' Policy Toward North Korea Not Working, Analysts Say -- Wyatt Olson, Stars and Stripes

North Korea’s development of missile technology and the production of plutonium and uranium used for nuclear weapons have advanced unabated under President Barack Obama’s policy of “strategic patience,” analysts say.

“If you straight-line into the future, the threat is going to get worse,” said Joel S. Wit, a former State Department official who manages the 38 North website run by Johns Hopkins University’s US-Korea Institute in Washington, D.C., where he is a visiting scholar.

“It’s gotten worse since 2009 when the Obama administration took office, and it’s going to keep getting worse and worse and worse.”

Read more ....

My Comment: President Obama will never acknowledge that his policy has failed .... so expect more of the same .... and expect the threat of conflict and war to increase correspondingly.

North Korea Now Threatening The 'Remains' Of U.S. Soldiers

Kim Hong-Ji / Reuters

North Korea Says Remains Of U.S. Soldiers At Risk Of Disappearing -- New York Times

SEOUL, South Korea — The remains of thousands of American soldiers killed in North Korea during the Korean War are in danger of getting lost after being moved from their burial sites because of various construction work, the North said on Monday.

The troops’ remains were neglected and “carried away en masse due to construction projects of hydropower stations, land rezoning and other gigantic nature-remaking projects, flood damage, etc.,” a spokesman of the North Korean military said in a statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency.

The 1950-53 Korean War, during which the United States fought for South Korea, ended not in a peace treaty but in a truce, leaving the peninsula technically at war. Still, the United States and North Korea conducted 33 joint search and recovery operations at some of the old battle sites in the reclusive North from 1996 to 2005, when Washington withdrew its personnel, citing security concerns amid rising tensions over the North’s nuclear weapons program.

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More News On North Korea Now Threatening The 'Remains' Of U.S. Soldiers

North Korea claims remains of US soldiers being 'carried away en masse' -- FOX News
North Korea: Remains of Thousands of U.S. Soldiers Being Moved -- AP
North Korea says remains of US troops being washed away -- Zee News/AFP
North Korea Moving Remains Of American Soldiers Who Died In The Korean War -- IBTimes

My Comment: If North Korea's intent is to make Americans angry ..... this will.

U.S. Imposes Sanctions On Two North Korean Shipping Companies

U.S. Blacklists North Korea Shipping Firms Over Arms Shipments -- Reuters

(Reuters) - The United States on Wednesday blacklisted two North Korean shipping firms that it said tried to conceal arms shipments from Cuba to North Korea, following a similar move by the United Nations.

The ship, Chong Chon Gang, was discovered last July near the Panama Canal hiding a large amount of arms, including two MiG-21 jet fighters under 200,000 bags of sugar, which the United States said showed a clear attempt to circumvent U.N. and U.S. sanctions against North Korea.

North Korea is under an array of sanctions for nuclear and ballistic missile tests since 2006 in defiance of global demands to stop.

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More News On The U.S. Imposing Sanctions On Two North Korean Shipping Companies

US Slaps Sanctions on 2 North Korean Shipping Companies -- Defense News/AFP
US puts sanctions on North Korea shipping companies -- Radio Australia
North Korean Firms Involved in Arms Shipment Targeted -- WSJ
U.S. sanctions N. Korea firms over arms transfer from Cuba -- Global Post/Kyodo
US slaps sanctions on two North Korean shipping firms -- Korea Times

My Comment: These sanctions would have an even greater bite if other countries were involved .... unfortunately .... aside from respecting UN sanctions no one else is jumping on this band-wagon.

North Korea Wants High-Level Talks With The U.S.

North Korea recently threatened nuclear and missile strikes against the US

North Korea Proposes High-Level Talks With US -- BBC

North Korea has proposed high-level talks with the US days after cancelling a meeting with South Korean officials.

The National Defence Commission said in a statement it wanted "serious discussions" with the US to "secure peace and stability in the region".

US and North Korean officials meet periodically, but have not engaged in high-level talks since 2009.

Earlier this year Pyongyang threatened to launch a nuclear attack on both the US and South Korea.

For years the North has cajoled the US and regional neighbours with a mixture of dire threats and promises of co-operation.

Correspondents say Pyongyang is constantly trying to improve its bargaining position to extract more food aid or fuel.

Read more ....

More News On North Korea Wanting Direct Talks With The U.S.

North Korea Seeks Talks With U.S. -- Wall Street Journal
N. Korea Proposes ‘High-Level’ Talks With U.S. to Ease Tensions -- Bloomberg Businessweek
North Korea proposes high-level nuclear talks with US -- FOX News/AP
North Korea Proposes Talks with U.S. -- Voice of America
North Korea offers 'high-level talks' with US -- Al Jazeera
N. Korea Proposes High-Level Talks With Washington -- RIA Novosti

My Comment: This dog and pony show is becoming very predictable from North Korea.

North Korea: Talks With The U.S. Possible Once It Has Sufficient Nuclear Weapons To Deter An Attack

N. Korea Says Talks Possible Once Nuclear Deterrence Is Set -- Bloomberg Businessweek

North Korea said talks with the U.S. are possible once it has sufficient nuclear weapons to deter an attack, setting a condition the Obama administration has ruled out after weeks of threats from Kim Jong Un’s regime.

“Genuine dialogue is possible only at the phase where the DPRK has acquired nuclear deterrent enough to defuse the U.S. threat of nuclear war unless the U.S. rolls back its hostile policy,” the state-run Korean Central News Agency yesterday said, citing a Foreign Ministry spokesman. The country’s official name is the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

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More News On North Korean Conditions For U.S. Nuclear Talks

Pyongyang Rejects Bid for Dialogue -- Wall Street Journal
North Korea rejects US call for talks -- Financial Times
North Korea lashes anew at effigy burning in South Korea, says no talks without apologies -- Washington Post/AP
North Korea opens window into possibility of talks with US -- Global Post
North Korea ready for talks but not with the US wielding ‘a nuclear stick' -- AllVoices
N. Korea not opposed to dialogue, but wants to save face first -- Korea Herald

My Comment: Talk about having no common ground for talks.

Can The U.S. And China Negotiate With North Korea?

China And US Push For Dialogue With North Korea -- The Guardian

John Kerry visits Seoul and Beijing to ease fears of tensions ahead of anniversary.

Washington and Beijing stressed they would handle tensions on the Korean peninsula through dialogue and consultation as fears rose that Pyongyang may be planning to test a missile to mark the anniversary of the birth of its first leader, Kim Il-sung.

US secretary of state John Kerry met Chinese president Xi Jinping and other senior leaders in Beijing, saying afterwards: "We are able ... to underscore our joint commitment to the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula in a peaceful manner."

Standing alongside China's top diplomat, state councillor Yang Jiechi, he added: "We agreed that this is critically important for the stability of the region and indeed for the world and for all of our nonproliferation efforts."

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My Comment: I doubt that China or the U.S. are in a position to negotiate with North Korea right now. North Korea's rhetoric is mainly directed at a North Korean audience .... a point that even America's top intelligence officer (National Intelligence Director James Clapper) asserted on Thursday.