Bush Signals Patience on North Korea is Waning

Proof of "complete, verifiable, and irreversible dismantlement" (CVID) of North Korea's nuclear weapons programs is what President Bush and his team of aides wanted for last week's six-nation talks on the North Korean nuclear crisis. But given North Korea's intransigence on the subject, that wish failed to come true as the talks finished, and it may not be realized for some time to come. Beijing, the host of the talks, tried to placate Pyongyang by allowing it to include a call for the US to end its "hostile" stance toward North Korea in the proposed joint statement. Such terminology was rejected by the White House, which has repeatedly said the US has no plans to attack North Korea. Still, it was revealed this week that President Bush ordered his negotiators to inform the other parties that Washington's patience with diplomatic efforts is not limitless. As both Pyongyang and Washington dug in their heels, no joint statement was produced at the conclusion of the talks. – YaleGlobal