You'd have to be an idiot to trust N Korea: Rice

Washington: 'Only an 'idiot' would trust North Korea that is why the US is insisting on a way to check its nuclear claims, " said US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, said in an interview.

A multilateral deal of 2005 under which Pyongyang would abandon its nuclear programs has become snagged. Reason: Pyongyang's refusal to spell out a protocol on how to verify disclosures about its nuclear programs.

North Koreans had showed reluctance to allow inspectors to take samples to test a declaration of its atomic program that it submitted this year part of the aid-for-disarmament agreement, is the sticking point

Rice rejected criticism from US conservatives who believe the Bush administration has been too trusting of Pyongyang in recent year, said Rice speaking to a group of foreign policy experts and students on Wednesday Dec 17.

''Nobody was trusting the North Koreans. I mean, who trusts the North Koreans? You'd have to be an idiot to trust the North Koreans,'' she said in the appearance at the Council of Foreign Relations think tank, prompting laughter. ''That's why we have a verification protocol that we are negotiating,'' she added, according to a transcript released by the State Department on Friday, Dec 19.

Rice said the N Korea had agreed to a verification protocol but had refused to write down some of its verbal assurances clarifying the document's 'ambiguities.' Rice said there was still a chance to persuade Pyongyang to carry out the six-party accord struck in 2005 by the two Koreas, China, Japan, Russia and the United States. She seemed not to disheartened by the current impasse.

OneIndia News (With input from Agenices)