North Korea to be Removed from State Terror list
Posted by Strijder on Thu, Jun 26, 2008 at 2:36 pm
“Bush said that in response to North Korea, the U.S. would erase trade sanctions under the Trading With the Enemy Act and notify Congress that in 45 days it intends to take North Korea off the State Department list of nations that sponsor terrorism.”
Source
So I have one burning question:
Why did the US put North Korea on the terrorism list in the first place? Because they sponsor terrorism or because they had an undocumented nuclear program? Does having nukes automatically qualify you for the list? Surely the problems with North Korea run deeper than this. Right? And, if having a nuke program translates into “sponsoring terrorism”, then I suspect all countries with a nuke program should be candidates for the list.
Oh, then there’s Iran…
1Strijder on Jun 26, 2008 at 2:38 pm:
How much do you want to bet that if Iran takes the same steps as North Korea, that they would NOT be taken off the list?
2dundee on Jun 26, 2008 at 3:06 pm:
Why would other countries care about being on the terror list by the biggest TERRORIST country in the world? Seriously, the US and Israel should be on the terror list of every country in the world.
Iran MUST develop nukes in order to rebuff the pariah state of israel and the terrorists in the white house. If Iran develops nukes the US and Israel wouldnt attack them. I support Ahmadinajad 100%.
3dundee on Jun 26, 2008 at 5:06 pm:
Here’s the black stooge response to this issue:
“This is a step forward, and there will be many more steps to take in the days ahead. Critical questions remain unanswered. We still have not verified the accuracy of the North Korean declaration. We must confirm the full extent of North Korea’s past plutonium production. We must also confirm its uranium enrichment activities, and get answers to disturbing questions about its proliferation activities with other countries, including Syria.
The declaration has not yet been made available, so Congress has not had a chance to review it. Before weighing in on North Korea’s removal from the list of state sponsors of terrorism, Congress must take the next 45 days to examine the adequacy of the North Korean declaration and verification procedures. Sanctions are a critical part of our leverage to pressure North Korea to act. They should only be lifted based on North Korean performance. If the North Koreans do not meet their obligations, we should move quickly to re-impose sanctions that have been waived, and consider new restrictions going forward.
We should continue to pursue the kind of direct and aggressive diplomacy with North Korea that can yield results. The objective must be clear: the complete and verifiable elimination of North Korea’s nuclear weapons programs, which only expanded while we refused to talk. As we move forward, we must not cede our leverage in these negotiations unless it is clear that North Korea is living up to its obligations.
As President, I will work from the very beginning of my term in office to secure the American people and our interests in this vital region. We must work with diligence and determination with our friends and allies to end this dangerous threat, and to secure a lasting peace on the Korean peninsula.”
http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/samgrahamfelsen/gG5NgC
4monkeymagic on Jun 28, 2008 at 4:44 am:
Here’s why NK was on the list of state sponsors of terrorism:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._list_of_state_sponsors_of_international_terrorism#North_Korea
I’m surprised Pakistan is not on that list given it’s history and recent news from Afghanistan that the Pakistani intelligence agency, the ISI, was involved in an assassination attempt on Hamid Karzai.
5dundee on Jun 28, 2008 at 6:21 pm:
You gotta be kidding, As an American I do not beleive in my country and i do not have alleigances to her or any other country. The US gov is the biggest threat to world’s peace.
Nelson Mendela who fought his entire life against racism and the apartheid in South africa is STILL on the US terrorist list. If Mandela was/is a terrorist noone could be spared then. Certainly the US and Israel top the list of state sponsor terrorism.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25272057/
6monkeymagic on Jun 29, 2008 at 9:21 am:
NK being on the list of state sponsors has, in reality, little to do with terrorism and more to do with pressuring the regime economically. Note the financial sanctions include:
- Prohibitions on economic assistance.
- Imposition of miscellaneous financial and other restrictions
The latter includes:
- Requiring the United States to oppose loans by the World Bank and other international financial institutions
- Denying companies and individuals tax credits for income earned in terrorist-listed countries
- Authority to prohibit any U.S. citizen from engaging in a financial transaction with a terrorist-list government without a Treasury Department license