North Korean Duplicity

PANMUNJOM, Korea (AP) — North Korea said Friday it is making "thorough preparations" to restart its nuclear reactor, accusing the United States of failing to fulfill its obligations under an international disarmament-for-aid agreement. It is the first time the communist nation has confirmed a reversal of steps taken since last year to disable its nuclear program because of Washington's refusal to quickly remove it from a U.S. terrorism blacklist. Under the landmark 2007 pact — involving the two Koreas, the U.S., China, Russia and Japan — North Korea pledged to disable its nuclear program as a step toward its eventual dismantlement in exchange for diplomatic concessions and energy aid equivalent to 1 million tons of oil. North Korea began disabling the Yongbyon complex last year, and the process was 90% complete, with eight of 11 key steps carried out "perfectly and flawlessly," Hyun said. But the accord ran aground in mid-August when Washington refused to take North Korea off its list of states that sponsor terrorism, saying the North first must accept a plan to verify its nuclear declaration.

• JJ Commentary: Did anyone really believe that North Korea would go through with its promised nuclear deactivation? They got as much as they could out of the brief détente, and now are just looking for excuses to do what they always intended to do.