North Korea has no further interest in negotiations with United States
{{North Korea nuclear program}}
{{date|February 19, 2005}}

Xinhua quoted an unnamed [[North Korea]]n spokesman as stating that "The DPRK [North Korean government] has no justification to take bilateral talks... on the nuclear issue of the Korean Peninsula with the [[United States]] now." North Korea has demanded that the United States end its perceived hostile policy toward North Korea before talks can begin again.

Last week, North Korea claimed to have successfully developed {{w|nuclear weapon|nuclear weapons}}, and pushed for two-party talks with the US. The US and China have pushed for multiple party talks. Though North Korea has not provided any substantial proof for its weapons claims&mdash;and has not performed the ceremonious "{{w|nuclear testing|first test}}" usually required by declared nuclear powers to demonstrate their capability&mdash;US intelligence agencies believe that North Korea may have produced anywhere from two or three such weapons ({{w|CIA}}'s guess) upwards to fifteen ({{w|Defense Intelligence Agency}}'s guess). The estimates were made on the basis of the amount of {{w|plutonium}} the North Koreans would have been able to recover from their {{w|nuclear reactor|nuclear reactors}} at {{w|Yongbyon}}.

{{haveyoursay}}
== Sources ==
*{{source|url=http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=126&art_id=qw1108817101855B255
 |title=North Korea not interested in talks with US
 |author=
 |pub=Xinhua
 |date=February 19, 2005}}
*{{source|url=http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/ny-usnuke0216,0,1348927.story?coll=ny-top-headlines
 |title=N. Korea nukes estimated as high as 15
 |author=Knut Royce
 |pub=Newsday
 |date=February 15, 2005}}

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[[Category:Asia]]
[[Category:North Korea]]
[[Category:Nuclear proliferation]]
[[Category:Politics and conflicts]]
[[Category:Korean Peninsula]]
[[Category:United States]]
[[Category:North America]]
[[Category:Nuclear weapons]]
Xinhua quoted an unnamed North Korean spokesman as stating that "The DPRK North Korean government has no justification to take bilateral talks... on the nuclear issue of the Korean Peninsula with the United States now." North Korea has demanded that the United States end its perceived hostile policy toward North Korea before talks can begin again.

Last week, North Korea claimed to have successfully developed nuclear weapons, and pushed for two-party talks with the US. The US and China have pushed for multiple party talks. Though North Korea has not provided any substantial proof for its weapons claims—and has not performed the ceremonious "first test" usually required by declared nuclear powers to demonstrate their capability—US intelligence agencies believe that North Korea may have produced anywhere from two or three such weapons (Defense Intelligence Agency's guess). The estimates were made on the basis of the amount of nuclear reactor|nuclear reactors at .
Asia North Korea Nuclear proliferation Politics and conflicts Korean Peninsula United States North America Nuclear weapons