NKorea off US terrorism list

12/10/2008 09:07:39

The United States has struck North Korea from a terrorism blacklist.

The State Department says it made the decision after Pyongyang agreed to verification of its nuclear disarmament and pledged to resume disabling its atomic plants.

The announcement appears to have saved a 2007 six-party disarmament deal.

Angered by US refusal to remove it from the terrorism black list, North Korea in the last few weeks moved toward restarting its nuclear reactor and other facilities at Yongbyon.

But State Department spokesman, Sean McCormack, says Pyongyang has made a commitment to resume disablement activities as soon as possible now that it has been delisted.

"Every element of verification that we sought is included in this package," he said.

"It's an important point - every single thing that we sought, going in, is part of this package."

Japan earlier urged the US not to delist North Korea, pressing first for more information on the fate of Japanese civilians who were kidnapped in the 1970s and 1980s to train the regime's spies.

US President George W. Bush has vowed to "strongly support Japan's position on the abduction issue."

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