UN envoy finds North Korea reluctant to enter nuclear talks

WASHINGTON: A senior U. N. envoy who visited Pyongyang this month carrying a pressing appeal for diplomacy was told by his North Korean hosts that it was “too early” for steps that might ease the confrontation over their nuclear program.

“There was no sense of urgency” one source familiar with the Dec. U.N. undersecretary for political affairs and a former senior U.S. dip

The North Korean reluctance to enter talks now puts it on a potential collision course with the United States. President Trump warned this week: “America and its allies will take all necessary steps to achieve a denuclearization and ensure that this regime cannot threaten the world; ... It will be taken care of.”

- pear to be narrowing in both Wash Korea’s seeming disinterest in any early negotiations was “convincing said one analyst.

Feltman made three requests of the North Koreans during his 15 proposed that they reopen militaryto-military channels that were cut in war might be reduced; he urged them to signal that they were ready - ing their Nov. 29 proclamation that North Korea had completed its “state nuclear force”; and he asked them to implement Security Council resolutions condemning their weapons programs.

To dramatize his message about Feltman gave North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho a copy of historian Christopher Clark’s Europe Went to War in 1914.” Ri was the most senior North Korean

Feltman was carrying a letter from Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to North Korean Leader Kim Jong - tempt to gain nuclear deterrence it seeks to avoid. Feltman’s message was reviewed before the trip by the in 2003-2009 that sought unsuccessfully to halt its nuclear program.

Analysts interpreted the North Korean response as an indication that Pyongyang plans more missile and nuclear tests to convincingly demonstrate its ability to strike the U.S. mainland with a nuclear- tipped missile. “They don’t feel they are quite there - ditional North Korean weapons tests might trigger a U.S. response.

The North Koreans engaged in posing many questions about U.S. But they were elusive when asked U.S. to change its “hostile” policy meant in the Nov. 29 announcement that North Korea had completed its state nuclear force.

The North Koreans evidently - - tion of military-to-military contacts but not yet. They also agreed that denuclearization is the ultimate

One perversely encouraging sign is that after Feltman urged the North Koreans to engage the ambassador Ja Song Nam attended a Council discussion Friday with Guterres and senior diplomats focusing on the danger of accidental war on the Korean peninsula.

In the 10 days since Feltman’s - ger of conflict has increased in Tillerson reiterated last week that he wants talks with Pyongyang: - ing without precondition; ... we can talk about the weather if you want.” But the White House was dis saying that Pyongyang would have - sumably by halting weapons tests. Tillerson’s aides say he just wanted

A chilling warning came last week from National Security that U.N. sanctions against North Asked Tuesday by CBS-TV about McMaster said: “I don’t think we can tolerate that risk.”

The sleepwalkers of 2017 should you never know just where the edge of the cliff may be.