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General: U.S. Still Wary of North Korea NewsMax.com Wires WASHINGTON -- The general in charge of U.S. forces in South Korea said Wednesday he remains wary of North Korea's nuclear intentions, despite Pyongyang's recent agreement to begin dismantling its weapons programs in return for aid. Gen. B.B. Bell told lawmakers that North Korean leader Kim Jong Il has a long history of manipulating negotiations over his nuclear program for his regime's gain, often emphasizing symbolism over substantial efforts to abandon bomb-making. He said he saw no signs that North Korea would reduce its huge military spending or curb its efforts to split the US.-South Korean alliance. "Kim Jong Il has the option to continue to manipulate the international community by alternating provocations and engagement overtures in an attempt to shape the political and military environment to meet his objectives," Bell told the House Armed Services Committee. Bell's comments follow two days of talks in New York between the United States and North Korea on establishing diplomatic ties after decades of animosity. Under a Feb. 13 agreement reached in Beijing, North Korea must shut down its main nuclear reactor and allow U.N. inspectors back into the country within 60 days. In return, the North would receive aid equal to 50,000 tons of heavy fuel oil. More aid would follow if the North began to dismantle all its nuclear programs. The top U.S. military commander in the Pacific, Navy Adm. William Fallon, told lawmakers that the nuclear deal is a work in progress, with many details still to be completed.
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© 2007 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Editor's note: Read more on this subject in related Hot Topics:
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