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UP ANY LEVERAGE UNTIL THE NORTH KOREANS ALLOWED IAEA INSPECTIONS. THEY DID NOT EXPECT TO SUCCEED IN KEEPING THE NORTH KOREANS OUT OF THE ADB, BUT THOUGHT THAT A SIGNAL OF STRONG AMERICAN OPPOSITION MIGHT DISSUADE THEM FROM PUSHING THEIR LUCK ELSEWHERE.
INSTRUCTIONS WOULD ISSUE TO EMBASSIES SOON TO GO OVER THIS GROUND WITH MFA'S.
5. WE ASKED ABOUT THE OUTCOME OF THE RECENT US/NORTH KOREA MEETING IN PEKING (PARA 6 OF MY TELNO 517). KARTMANN SAID THAT THE NORTH KOREANS HAD SURPRISED THE AMERICANS BY HANDING OVER A LETTER FROM, KIM YONG SUN, WHICH REAFFIRMED THAT NORTH KOREA INTENDED TO COOPERATE WITH THE IAEA, BUT COMPLAINED ABOUT RECENT AMERICAN STATEMENTS WHICH CAST DOUBT ON NORTH KOREA'S SINCERITY (KARTMANN THOUGHT THEY HAD IN MIND GATES'S RECENT REMARKS THAT NORTH KOREA COULD NOT BE TRUSTED.) KARTMANN SAID THE ADMINISTRATION DID NOT WANT THE NORTH KOREANS TO THINK THAT THEY WERE SO SUSPICIOUS OF NORTH KOREA THAT THEY WOULD NEVER RECIPROCATE NORTH KOREA'S GESTURES. IF THE NORTH WERE LEFT WITH THIS IMPRESSION, THEY MIGHT CONCLUDE THAT THEY HAD NO INCENTIVE TO COOPERATE WITH IAEA. THE AMERICANS INTENDED THEREFORE TO SEND A REPLY WHICH WOULD UNDERLINE THAT THEY WERE PREPARED TO IMPROVE US/NORTH KOREAN RELATIONS IF THEIR CONCERNS ABOUT NORTH KOREA'S NUCLEAR PROGRAMME WERE MET.
6. WE ASKED ABOUT US POLICY ON NORTH KOREAN ARMS SHIPMENTS TO THE MIDDLE EAST. KARTMANN SAID THE AMERICANS WOULD CONTINUE TO TRACK NORTH KOREAN VESSELS, AND DECIDE WHAT TO DO ON A CASE-BY-CASE BASIS. BUT SINCE THERE WAS NO LEGAL JUSTIFICATION FOR TURNING THEM BACK, THE AMERICANS WERE RELUCTANT TO BOARD THEM. THEY HAD ASKED THE RUSSIANS AND CHINESE TO USE THEIR INFLUENCE WITH THE NORTH KOREANS TO DISSUADE THEM FROM FURTHER SHIPMENTS. THE NORTH KOREANS' MAIN MOTIVE WAS TO OBTAIN HARD CURRENCY OR OIL TO HELP THEIR ENERGY PROBLEMS. THE AMERICANS WANTED THE CHINESE AND RUSSIANS TO EMPHASISE THAT THE BEST WAY TO RESOLVE THEIR ENERGY PROBLEMS WAS TO COOPERATE WITH THE WEST OVER NUCLEAR ISSUES, IN THE HOPE OF SLOWLY ENDING THEIR ECONOMIC ISOLATION.
RENWICK
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