North Korea is preparing to demolish the cooling tower at its Yongbyon nuclear reactor, in a symbolic display of its intention to disarm.

The move comes a day after the isolated state handed over long-awaited details of its nuclear programme.

In return, US President George Bush agreed to scrap some of its sanctions against North Korea, and remove it from a list of states sponsoring terrorism.

Former US envoy to the UN, John Bolton, said Mr Bush's decision was "shameful".

He suggested the deal was a capitulation to the North's "expert" negotiators and represented the "final collapse" of the Bush administration's foreign policy.

"North Korea has been given an enormous gift of political legitimacy... in exchange for a declaration that we're not in a position to verify," he said.

But others have welcomed the actions of both Pyongyang and Washington, with analysts saying that recent developments appear to have breathed new life into the long-running six-party talks on disarming North Korea.

The talks have stalled repeatedly since an agreement was reached 16 months ago, in which the North agreed to scrap its nuclear ambitions in return for aid and diplomatic concessions.

Russia has suggested restarting the meetings - which include representatives from North and South Korea, Japan, China, the US and Russia - as early as next week.

Televised demolition

North Korea has invited international television crews to witness the demolition of the cooling tower.

While analysts say that the destruction of the tower is not, in itself, a huge step forward, it is still being seen as an important symbolic gesture.
According to the BBC's correspondent in Seoul, John Sudworth, it is a spectacular demonstration of the North's intention to give up production of weapons-grade plutonium.

North Korea agreed to put its nuclear facilities beyond use as part of the six-party agreement reached in February 2006.

The handing over of a document detailing the North's nuclear activities was also part of this agreement.

The long-awaited document was handed over to Chinese delegates on Thursday, and chief US negotiator Christopher Hill said on Friday that copies had also been sent to other nations involved in the negotiations.

"We have to study it carefully and we will have to work on the verification," Mr Hill told the French news agency AFP.

The document is six months overdue and is not certain to satisfy the international community.

It is expected to cover the North's plutonium production activities, but analysts believe it will not address other key issues including a suspected uranium enrichment programme - which, like plutonium, could also be used to make nuclear weapons.

Another potential stumbling block is the allegation that the North helped Syria to build a nuclear facility - a claim denied by Pyongyang.

And the possibility that the country has already managed to build a small number of weapons has not even been touched on yet, according to the BBC's diplomatic correspondent Jonathan Marcus.

US concessions

As a result of the North's decision to hand over the document, President Bush not only pledged to lift some sanctions on the North, but he also said he would remove the regime from its list of state sponsors of terrorism.

Remove them from the list of States sponsoring Terrorim??... How is the decision to remove them based on them destroying a coolant tower for a Nuke reactor?... They either give the Ts money, training, weapons and safe harbour, or they dont!!!.. Thats what gets them on and off the list!!.. The war on terror cant be comprimised by such subjective politics, its an operational tool that is publicised... so the public gain insight into who the enemy is dating for such support.. that said, I cant imagine the Intel Agencies taking their eyes of North Koren for one instant..

The move seems to be postive but until its verified independantly, it means nothing!!...

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"Barrel High, Powder Dry!"

"Illic est haud effrego ex Veneratio"

That list of the "Axsis of Evil".....was bull**** IMO...any state that didnt do what the US said was placed with the lable of terror...NK are a bad dog....dont get me wrong mate...but as you say.....blowing up a cooling tower.....dosnt mean they have stopped being a sponsor of terror....it just goes to show how transparant some of the stuff is.....full marks for destroying the tower.....but come on....all of a sudden theyre off the list...im of the same point of view as you when it comes to that....your off the list....no now your on the list....theyll test some missiels next week.....and theyll be back on again......its idotic polictics like that that gives Bushs war on terror less credibility....in certain parts of the world.......as you say...the nuclear agencies and the CIA wont stop casting a watchful eye.....
and it was funny to me that the documents about their nuclear programme handed over by NK.....failed to mention exsiting weapons.....their not fooling anyone.....its like catching a theif and only checking one pocket

The US cant play games with state sponsored terror.....just theyve complyed with one thing...dosnt mean there isnt 10 other things they need to put to bed...

dont piss on us man...and tell us its raining.....

what do you think....does playing games with the list...discredit the war on terror a little bit in certan parts of the world???

North Korea's Nuclear program was the reason they were on the Axis of evil list. That and the missile tests they conducted into the sea of Japan. The Cooling tower being destroyed was symbolic and purely for media consumption. The trade off is a lowering of sanctions in return for the dismantling of N.K's nuke program. Bush wants to conclude a few issues before his departure from office.

As for N.K being accused of funding terrorism. Where is the evidence for this claim, Cos I've never seen any....

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"If you're going through hell, keep going". Winston Churchill

I think i can remember his speach....he did say something about NK sponsorin terrorism....and lifting some sanctions is good.....give and take....i guess its got to be that way...

I havent seen any evidence of NK being a state sponsor....maybe other members know more
but the proof to me hasnt come....but i surpose MI5 an the CIA know more then me....

Well its very easy to twist things to suit a national agenda. The SAS were in the Jungle helping train the Khmar rouge not so long ago! and remember the Iran-Contra affair
are they not states supporting rogue elements and terrorism and how about this Ex SAS guy on trial in the Equatorial Guinea.. Stinks to hell of deniable ops!

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"If you're going through hell, keep going". Winston Churchill

Hmmm....good point...its not always black and white....theres grey areas and goverments will explot that im never looking through rose tinted glass anyway...SFs are always in places....and denialability is key incase they get comprimised.....western goverments are shady...our one no different

Theres no doubt that these type of Shadow ops exist, but thats really not tieing into North Korea being off the Terrorism list.. developing Nukes in a a rogue fashion is not State Sponsored Terrorism. The tyranney of Kim Yung on his people, and Im sure a host of other bad *** things hes upto is reason to be on the list.. If theres an enemy of the freeworld list, then that douchebag would certainly qualify for full membership honours for that list....

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"Barrel High, Powder Dry!"

"Illic est haud effrego ex Veneratio"

I wasnt linking speical ops to N.Korea....just answering spikes post...The thing is with N.K...IMO they should remain on the list....the documents they handed over...said nothing about their exsisting WMDs...i think theyre trying to throw the IC off the scent....but im not buying it....the shuting down of the reactor means...they dont plan to prouduce nuclear weapons in the near future....but what about the warheads they already have??...as for them sponsoring terrorism...im not sure how big their infulence is....but i might be missing something....iut i havent seen N.Korean weapons being used on a scale..by terror groups.....no where near the level of say...Iran and Syria...what terror groups use weapons with N.Ks name on them?....but like i said im not to clued up about their weapons distribution???

Good point, and thats why its madness to think they have being given a free pass... However, national security of every free country dictates that its intel agencies keep their eyes firmly on NK.

__________________
"Barrel High, Powder Dry!"

"Illic est haud effrego ex Veneratio"