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Cohen rejects N.Korea $300 million 'peek' offerJanuary 12, 1999Web posted at: 1:33 a.m. EST (0633 GMT) YOKOTA AIR FORCE BASE, Japan (Reuters) -- U.S. Defense Secretary William Cohen on Tuesday rejected an offer by communist North Korea that would allow Washington to inspect a suspected underground nuclear site in exchange for $300 million. "The North Koreans have said they want $300 million for just the right to look. That is a pretty expensive peek. What we are saying is we are not in the business of giving you compensation. What we need to have is some verification," Cohen said in a speech to U.S. forces at this airbase near Tokyo. Cohen, who is on a six-day tour of Japan and South Korea, said the site issue could threaten an agreement under which North Korea halted a potential nuclear arms programme in return for aid from Washington, Tokyo and Seoul for less-threatening commercial nuclear power reactors and oil supplies. "That will call into question the viability of the agreed framework (on aid to North Korea)," Cohen said. On Monday, the day Cohen arrived in Japan, North Korea had repeated a demand it made last November for the United States to pay $300 million if it wanted to inspect the site. The offer in November was also rejected outright by Washington. The latest demand was made ahead of a resumption of talks between Pyongyang and Washington in Geneva on Saturday on improving relations. In announcing the $300 million "one look" offer, the North Korean Foreign Ministry gave its own warning that it would scrap the so-called nuclear framework agreement if inspection of the site remained a sticking point in negotiations on improved ties. On his way to Japan from Washington, Cohen had told reporters that maintenance of the agreement with North Korea was important to all concerned. "We intend to engage the North Koreans, working with the South Koreans, to try to keep the agreed framework intact," Cohen had said. In his speech to troops at this headquarters base for U.S. forces in Japan, Cohen thanked them for "being on duty at all times." "We can't say this often enough. How proud we are of you and thankful for your service. Your patriotism, your sacrifice, really make us the best (military) in the world," said Cohen, who wore a brown leather flight jacket and bright red scarf. "You are protecting two billion people from San Diego (California) all the way to Seoul." Bolstering Japan's defensesA key part of Cohen's talks in Japan are about building up Tokyo's defenses against possible missile attacks from North Korea. North Korea's test launch of a three-stage Taepodong ballistic missile over the Japanese mainland last August on what it said was a satellite launch firing, has set off a flurry of actions by Japan to build up its security. Last month, Tokyo announced it planned to launch four intelligence and other satellites by mid-2003 to give early warning of a missile attack. On his arrival in Japan, Cohen said the United States would help the satellite plan in any way that it could. "The Japanese government will obviously have to make a decision on whether they wish to try and develop their own separate system" or buy foreign satellite technology, he said. "In any event, if they decide to go forward, we will try to help in ways in which we can perhaps share some of our own technology or be of assistance in ways that they would find helpful." In his talks with Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi and Defense Minister Hosei Norota, Cohen will also discuss Japan's participation in the so-called theatre missile defence (TMD) system. Japan has proposed spending $8 million in its 1999/2000 budget on TMD research and development into how to shoot down missiles. The amount is a tiny fraction of what Washington is spending on attempts, thus far unsuccessful, to develop such a system. But Cohen made clear in his arrival comments that Washington would like Japan to put more yen into the project. "I think that the firing of the Taepodong missile got everyone's attention in terms of the proliferation of this technology," he told reporters. Copyright 1999 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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