U.S. considers talks, but no deals, with North Korea

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, left, talks with North Korean diplomat Han Song Ryol.

New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson met with two diplomats from North Korea on Saturday. They talked about the current controversy involving the Asian country's decision to restart its nuclear weapons program. The governor - a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations - explained that North Korea uses harsh words as a way of trying to obtain something from another nation. "The North Koreans, they don't negotiate like we do. They don't have our same mentality," Richardson said. He added that "they believe that in order to get something, they have to lay out additional cards -- step up the rhetoric, be more belligerent." His statement implies that North Korea uses tough talk as part of their strategy in dealing with other countries.

Despite this tactic of the North Koreans, Richardson urged the Bush administration "to pick up the phone" and begin direct talks with North Korea's leaders. The administration's current approach towards North Korea has been increasingly criticized. "This administration calling [North Korean President Kim Jong-Il] a pygmy or saying they loathe him ... this kind of rhetoric just plays right into the paranoia of North Korea," said Senator Carl Levin, implying that openly criticizing the North Korean leader only strains relations between the two countries.

RESOURCES • CNN.com: N. Korea blames U.S. for nuclear crisis  • CNN.com: Timeline: North Korea's nuclear weapons development  • CNN.com: How dangerous Is North Korea?  • CNN.com: Special-Korea: States of War  • Interactive: North Korea's nuclear facility   • CNN.com: Special: Two Koreas

Richardson said that during nine hours of what he called "cordial" talks, the North Korean diplomats had told him that North Korea had "no intention of developing nuclear weapons." The assurance does not appear to have satisfied the Bush administration, which said Saturday that the talks had failed to address "the issues of concern to the international community." The White House wants proof that North Korea has not resumed its alleged nuclear weapons program before the Bush administration will agree to talks.

North Korea's statement Friday that it would pull out of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty did not help its relations with the United States. The treaty is a landmark international agreement that took force in 1970, involving 187 parties. Member states with nuclear weapons agreed not to share nuclear technology, and others agreed not to try to get it.

North Korea says its decision to pull out of the non-proliferation treaty was based purely on self-defense concerns in the face of what it calls the "hostile" policy of the United States.

But President Bush has repeatedly said he has no plans to attack North Korea, and that he is open to talks with the communist nation. However, Bush says he will not be blackmailed into offering incentives to get North Korea to stop its alleged nuclear weapons program. And U.S. intelligence agencies believe North Korea had one or two nuclear warheads even before its recent decision to reactivate a key nuclear facility.

Some analysts think North Korea could develop a missile capable of hitting the U.S. by 2015.

Some Republicans say the president should not rule out military options. North Korea has "tested a missile that can strike Tokyo and they're developing missiles that can strike the United States of America. The United States needs to take vigorous action with our allies, but if not, on our own," said Senator John McCain on Sunday. McCain's statement implies that with or without international support, the U.S. should work to be sure of its own security.

Assistant U.S. Secretary of State James Kelly traveled to the Korean Peninsula late Sunday for talks with South Korean officials on ways to resolve the crisis. And North Korea has indicated it wants to meet with U.S. officials at the U.N. next week. White House sources say such a meeting is possible, but they add that there will be no deals made to get North Korea to end its nuclear weapons program.