North Korea off blacklist

Washington: North Korea has agreed to all US nuclear inspection demands and the Bush administration responded on Saturday by removing the communist country from a terrorism blacklist.

The breakthrough is intended to salvage a faltering disarmament accord before President George W. Bush leaves office in January. "Every single element of verification that we sought going in is part of this package," State Department Sean McCormack said.

North Korea will allow atomic experts to take samples and conduct forensic tests at all of its declared nuclear facilities and undeclared sites on mutual consent. The North will permit experts to verify that it has told the truth about transfers of nuclear technology and an alleged uranium programme.

"Verifying North Korea's nuclear proliferation will be a serious challenge. This is the most secret and opaque regime in the entire world," said Patricia McNerney, assistant secretary for international security and non-profileration.

The move followed days of debate in Washington and consultations with US negotiating partners China, South Korea, Russia and Japan. Tokyo had balked at the move because North Korea has not resolved issues related to its abduction of Japanese citizens.

"The key principle of the six-party talks is that any agreement must be agreed upon and in essence guaranteed. The next is to go to the six and have this formalised," McCormack said.

North Korea, along with Iran and Iraq, was branded as part of an 'axis of evil' by Bush after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.