Kim Jong Il's impeccable logic: "While the US stonewalled with its 'comprehensive, verifiable, and irreversible' nuclear disarmament formula, the North Korean negotiator presented a comprehensive package deal, in essence proposing nuclear disarmament in return for a non-aggression pact with the US. The proposed deal would insist on the 'principle of simultaneity', any step by North Korea being matched by a US move, beginning with a North Korean declaration of intent to scrap nuclear programs and US assurances of non-aggression. This would be followed by more formal and tangible steps, eg, US resumption of heavy-oil shipments in return for readmission of United Nations inspectors, and so on.

"The US rejects this approach and insists on verifiable disarmament prior to any concessions; it also has refused the signing of a formal non-aggression treaty - ever. The US stance was labeled 'gangster-like' by North Korea after the six-way talks and described as follows by the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA): 'The United States insists that we take off our clothes until we get stark naked, while it refuses to move even one step.'

"Who knows about 'gangster-like', but otherwise the characterization was pretty much accurate and implicitly deplored as well by China and South Korea when they said that 'simultaneous steps' were necessary when going forward."

It is the United States by its unreasonable stand that has precipitated and is sustaining the Korean crisis.

Kim Jong Il's impeccable logic: "While the US stonewalled with its 'comprehensive, verifiable, and irreversible' nuclear disarmament formula, the North Korean negotiator presented a comprehensive package deal, in essence proposing nuclear disarmament in return for a non-aggression pact with the US. The proposed deal would insist on the 'principle of simultaneity', any step by North Korea being matched by a US move, beginning with a North Korean declaration of intent to scrap nuclear programs and US assurances of non-aggression. This would be followed by more formal and tangible steps, eg, US resumption of heavy-oil shipments in return for readmission of United Nations inspectors, and so on.

"The US rejects this approach and insists on verifiable disarmament prior to any concessions; it also has refused the signing of a formal non-aggression treaty - ever. The US stance was labeled 'gangster-like' by North Korea after the six-way talks and described as follows by the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA): 'The United States insists that we take off our clothes until we get stark naked, while it refuses to move even one step.'

"Who knows about 'gangster-like', but otherwise the characterization was pretty much accurate and implicitly deplored as well by China and South Korea when they said that 'simultaneous steps' were necessary when going forward."

It is the United States by its unreasonable stand that has precipitated and is sustaining the Korean crisis.