N. Korea Gets 6-Month Deadline to Allow Inspections

Secretary of State Warren Christopher said Sunday that diplomatic efforts to get North Korea to allow international inspections of its nuclear facilities will last another six months.

But, appearing on NBC’s “Meet the Press” program, he warned North Korea not to use the time to develop its nuclear program, saying that would change the situation.

“Well, I think that Secretary Perry’s use of six months is not a bad period of time,” Christopher said, referring to comments made by Defense Secretary William J. Perry last week.

“As Secretary Perry said last week, he does not see the need for a preemptive strike at the present time,” Christopher said.

“Diplomacy is continuing,” he added. “At the same time, I want to emphasize we don’t rule in or out any of the options over the longer term.

“I certainly agree that if the situation goes on the way it is without the inspections being accepted, then we have a much more serious problem as time goes on,” Christopher said.

The United States has sent a Patriot antimissile battalion to South Korea and is scheduling military maneuvers on the peninsula to pressure North Korea to open its nuclear facilities to U.N. inspectors.

But North Korea has rejected the demands and accused the United States of provoking a war.

Christopher rejected statements from Moscow on Friday that Russia might have to side with North Korea under the terms of a treaty signed when it was part of the Soviet Union.

“I don’t think that statement’s an accurate reflection of Russian policy,” he said.

“The Russians have been very cooperative with us at the United Nations and elsewhere in trying to put pressure on the North Koreans to permit these inspections,” Christopher said. “I think that Russia has exactly the same policy we do, and that is they want to have a non-nuclear Korean Peninsula.”