Last update - 00:00 05/10/2007
N. Korea says U.S. will remove it from list of terror sponsors
By The Associated Press
North Korea claimed Friday that the United States had agreed to remove it from a list of terror-sponsoring nations and lift other sanctions after Pyongyang disables its nuclear facilities.
A report from the North's official Korean Central News Agency said the "United States decided to take such political measures as delisting the (North) as a terrorism sponsor at international arms talks."
The North also said Washington would stop treating the communist nation under the U.S. Trading with the Enemy Act, a measure that restricts trade, in return for the North's neutralization of its nuclear facilities by the end of 2007.
No timeframe was specified for action on the U.S. terror list in the public declaration issued from the arms talks earlier this week, where the North committed to disable its main nuclear facilities by year-end - the furthest it has gone in decades to scale back its atomic ambitions.
U.S. officials have declined to publicly say any decision has been made on removing North Korea from its list of state sponsors of terror - a designation that obligates Washington to oppose such countries from getting loans from major international financial institutions, among other restrictions.
Earlier this week, the main U.S. envoy to the North Korea arms talks repeatedly refused to acknowledge any specifics about removing the country from the terror list, one of Pyongyang's long-held demands.
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill would only confirm that Washington had a very clear understanding with the North, refusing to divulge any details.
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