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Top U.S. envoy visits N. Korea

Christopher Hill's trip marks a surprise shift in U.S. policy.

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published June 22, 2007

WASHINGTON - Assistant Secretary of State Christopher R. Hill launched a surprise two-day trip to Pyongyang on Thursday, becoming the highest-ranking U.S. official to travel there since the crisis over North Korea's nuclear ambitions began nearly five years ago.

Hill visited the North Korean capital at the sudden request of the country's government and - in a shift in policy - the United States did not demand any concessions as a condition for the trip. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and other top officials had insisted that North Korea first shut down its nuclear reactor.

The aging reactor at Yongbyon is still operational, and this week the United States also arranged for North Korea to receive millions of dollars that the U.S. Treasury Department had previously deemed the fruits of illicit activities.

The Bush administration - which once all but barred bilateral contacts between North Korean and U.S. diplomats - has sought to portray such shifts in policy as part of a natural evolution. But former administration officials said Thursday the administration appears to be weakening its negotiating position by making so many concessions so quickly.

"This is another mistake that will convince the North Koreans that they have the whip hand and the State Department is desperate for a deal, " said John Bolton, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

State Department officials said Hill's trip came about while he was traveling in Asia, consulting with the Japanese, the South Koreans and the Chinese about the six-nation talks on North Korea's nuclear programs. North Korea sent a message that it - along with Russia - was also part of the six-party talks and, thus, should be included in Hill's consultations. Rice discussed the proposal with Bush before approving the trip.

[Last modified June 22, 2007, 01:21:29]