Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

Dialogue and Sanctions Can Never Go together: Rodong Sinmun

Korean Central News Agency of DPRK via Korea News Service (KNS)

    Pyongyang, November 2 (KCNA) -- The U.S. Department of Treasury recently declared its decision to freeze the overseas properties of the trade companies of the DPRK having dealings with those maintaining economic ties with the U.S. and list the companies and individuals of the third countries dealing with the DPRK companies as objects of its sanctions on the suspicion of proliferating "weapons of mass destruction (WMD)" and their delivery means. In this regard Rodong Sinmun today in a signed commentary says:
    It is not hard to guess that the U.S. Department of Treasury's decision on sanctions against the trade companies of the DPRK is not a simple issue related to economic relations but a link in the whole chain of the carefully prearranged provocative and hostile moves of the U.S. to stifle the DPRK. The U.S. armed invasion of other countries has always been accompanied by its persistent racket for sanctions against them.
    The U.S. freezing of the properties of the DPRK companies did not come by chance.
    The above-said decision is aimed at pressurizing the DPRK to scrap its nuclear program first. Herein lies the main reason why the U.S. is becoming so vociferous about the sanctions against the DPRK in the run-up to the fifth round of the six-party talks.
    Dialogue and sanctions can never go together. Such U.S. behavior can not be construed otherwise than an act of backtracking from the spirit of the joint statement of the fourth round of the six-party talks.
    The U.S. behavior is little short of hamstringing the sincere efforts made by the DPRK for the success of the fifth round of the six-party talks. The U.S. would be well advised to give up its futile sanctions against the DPRK.