US strikes North Korea from terror blacklist

Washington, Oct 12 : The United States has struck North Korea from a terror blacklist after saying that Pyongyang agreed to steps to verify its nuclear disarmament and pledged to resume disabling its atomic plants.

The deal announced by the State Department on Saturday aimed at reviving the historic six-party disarmament negotiations threatened with collapse just months before US President George W. Bush leaves office on January 20.

Angered at the US refusal to remove it from the blacklist, North Korea in the last few weeks moved toward restarting its nuclear reactor and other operations at Yongbyon, The News reported.

But Sung Kim, the head of the State Department's Korea office, told a press briefing here that the "North Koreans have committed that the disablement activities in Yongbyon will resume immediately" now that it has been delisted.

He expected a statement shortly from Pyongyang.

Department spokesman Sean McCormack said Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Saturday "rescinded the designation of North Korea as a state terror sponsor" after Pyongyang agreed to the disarmament verification steps.

ANI