N. Korea Shifts Stance on Nuclear Talks

Since admitting to its hitherto-secret uranium enrichment program last October, North Korea has demanded bilateral talks with the United States to resolve the crisis. The U.S., however, has insisted on the participation of North Korea’s neighbors arguing that North Korean nuclear program was a matter of regional concern. North Korean refusal to take part in a multilateral discussion has raised the prospect of war in the Korean peninsula. However, in the wake of the quick U.S. victory in Iraq. the Pyongyang government has dropped its insistence on bilateral talks provided the US takes a bold new initiative. The shift in North Korea’s position may pave the way for multilateral negotiations. – YaleGlobal