North Korea proposed Monday signing a peace treaty this year to formally end the Korean War, a suggestion that Washington quickly dismissed.
In a move seen as an attempt to bolster its negotiating position, the isolated communist regime said a return to negotiations on its nuclear weapons program depends on better relations with Washington and the lifting of sanctions.
However, U.S. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley told reporters Monday that peace treaty talks would only be discussed once North Korea comes back to six-nation nuclear talks and takes steps on abandoning its nuclear programs.
As for dropping sanctions, Crowley said, "We're not going to pay North Korea to come back to the six-party process."
I'm pleased that we aren't interesting in paying North Korea or playing their games. Kudos to the Obama administration for this view and not saving Pyongyang from their viking funeral ride. Of course, I was never critical of the Bush administration efforts to string along talks, which as far as I am concerned, is a policy of talk, talk, die, die.
But you can't blame a desperate despot from trying.
UPDATE: After that brief episode of outreach by the leader, it's back to whining and threatening:
North Korea's military warned Wednesday that it would retaliate against South Korea if Seoul doesn't stop activists from launching propaganda leaflets across their divided border.
Given that Pyngyang is having problems ordering its people about, why do they think Seoul can?
