US lawmakers consider provision to require Bush to certify NKorean nuclear progress
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WASHINGTON: U.S. lawmakers on Tuesday called for President George W. Bush to certify that North Korea is not transferring nuclear technology to Iran and Syria before Pyongyang receives its coveted goal of being taken off a U.S. terrorism blacklist.
The measure, which was considered by the U.S. House of Representatives, could hinder the Bush administration's push to settle a nuclear disarmament deal with the North. A vote on the measure was postponed.
Under the legislation, Bush would also have to certify that North Korea has provided a "complete and correct" and verifiable declaration of all its nuclear programs before removing the North from the blacklist.
The measure faces an uncertain legislative process before becoming law, but it reflects the unease some lawmakers feel with the direction of North Korean nuclear negotiations. If the House were to approve the measure, it would then have to pass the Senate before going to Bush for his signature.
The Bush administration is eager for a successful nuclear deal with the North. But a squabble over the North's declaration has bogged down the nuclear talks. North Korea promised to provide a declaration by the end of last year but has refused to move forward without progress on the terrorism list issue.
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In a tentative deal to break months of deadlock, the U.S. has recently stepped back from its demand for a detailed declaration addressing North Korea's alleged secret uranium enrichment program and nuclear cooperation with Syria; North Korea has denied those allegations. The deal would have North Korea answer a U.S. bill of particulars about those alleged programs and set up a system to verify that the country does not conduct such activities in the future.
Republican Rep. Ed Royce said the House measure makes it clear that Congress expects a complete declaration on all North Korean nuclear activities, including any uranium and nuclear proliferation.
Royce said that "despite the rhetoric," verification has not been taken seriously by the Bush administration.
Some critics worry that removing the North from the terror list would leave the U.S. without crucial leverage needed to spur the North to abide by its nuclear commitments. They also question the U.S. receiving anything other than a "complete and correct" declaration from the North.
"Let us not be fooled yet again by North Korea," Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, the top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said. Verification is key, she added, given North Korea's "abysmal record" in keeping its promises.
The measure would also allow Bush to waive certain sanctions against North Korea so the U.S. could provide aid as it worked to abandon its nuclear programs.
The House on Tuesday also considered another measure that would double funding for democracy and human rights promotion in North Korea to $4 million (€2.6 million). The measure would also elevate the U.S. special envoy for North Korean human rights to a full-time ambassadorial position. A vote on that measure was also postponed.
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