核無能力化中断

(Aug. 28, 2008) The Yomiuri Shimbun
Don't be deceived by N. Korea's tactics
核無能力化中断　北朝鮮の駆け引きに乗るな（8月28日付・読売社説）

North Korea's tactic of trying to intimidate opponents and win concessions from them by creating a crisis is nothing new.
相手を恫喝し、危機的状況を作り出すことによって、譲歩を引き出そうとする常套戦術だ。

Pyongyang has suspended its disablement of its nuclear facilities in response to the United States' postponement of removing North Korea from a list of states sponsoring terrorism.
北朝鮮が、テロ支援国指定解除を先送りした米国に反発して、核施設の「無能力化」作業を中断する対抗手段に出た。

North Korea's action is irresponsible and once again turns back the process of the six-party talks over the abandonment of its nuclear programs. North Korea should unconditionally resume its disablement work.
北朝鮮の核廃棄に向けた６か国協議のプロセスを再び逆戻りさせる無責任な行動である。北朝鮮は無条件で作業を再開すべきだ。

The deadline for the disablement, which includes the removal of spent nuclear fuel rods from a halted nuclear reactor and is aimed at making North Korea's nuclear facilities at least temporarily unusable, was initially set for the end of last year. Pyongyang failed to meet this and the deadline was extended until the end of October.
停止した原子炉から使用済み核燃料棒を抜き取るなど、核施設を当分使用不能にする「無能力化」作業の期限は、本来、昨年末だった。約束は守られず、今年１０月末に延期されている。

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U.S. should stand firm
（米国はもっと強く要求すべし）

If North Korea continues to sit on its hands regarding disablement work, the deadline might be further put off. But Pyongyang has gone a step further, saying it would consider restoring its nuclear facilities in Yongbyon to their original states.
北朝鮮がこのまま作業中断を続ければ、期限はさらに延びることになりかねない。核施設の「原状復旧」を検討する、と第二の対抗措置をとる構えも見せている。

These moves apparently are aimed at shaking up the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush, whose term ends in less than five months, and pressing it hard for concessions.
任期満了まであと５か月を切ったブッシュ米政権を揺さぶり、譲歩を迫る狙いがあるのだろう。

The Bush administration must not make easy concessions in the hope of accomplishing something before Bush's term is up. The United States should be firm in negotiating with North Korea and urge it to accept strict verification procedures.
ブッシュ政権は、実績作りを急ぐ余り、安易な妥協をしてはならない。厳密な検証手続きを受け入れるよう、毅然として北朝鮮と交渉すべきだ。

The United States has repeatedly said that North Korea's agreeing to verification procedures, which are for checking Pyongyang's declarations on its nuclear program, is essential for being delisted as a state sponsor of terrorism.
米国は、核計画申告書を提出した北朝鮮に、その内容を確かめる検証手続きに合意するのがテロ支援国指定解除の発効条件だ、と再三強調している。

This is a justified demand.
当然の要求だ。

The United States presented a draft on verification procedures at the six-party talks in July. If North Korea wants to be delisted as a state sponsor of terrorism, it must first hold talks based on the draft and agree to it.
米国は７月の６か国協議で検証草案を示している。北朝鮮が指定解除を望むのであれば、草案をもとに協議し、合意することが先決である。

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Verification is paramount
（まず核の検証作業を）

In a statement issued Tuesday, North Korea claimed that an agreement on verification procedures is not a condition for being delisted from the terrorism sponsor list. It also accused the United States of trying to apply an "international standard" to the verification process.
だが、北朝鮮は２６日の声明で、検証合意は指定解除の条件ではない、と強弁した。さらに、「国際的基準」の検証適用を求めたとして、米国を非難している。

These arguments are self-centered as they appear to regard the verifying of the declaration itself as wrong. Verification work without permission to collect samples and measure them cannot be considered verification.
まるで申告の中身を検証することが間違っているかのような身勝手な言い分ではないか。「サンプルの採取や測定」を認めないような検証は成り立たない。

The verification process should at the very least confirm the amount of plutonium North Korea possesses as material for nuclear weapons. If that point remains unclear, it would be tantamount to allowing North Korea to hide its nuclear arms.
申告の検証では、少なくとも北朝鮮が核兵器の材料に使用しているプルトニウムの保有量を確認しなければならない。そこをあいまいにすれば、北朝鮮に核の隠匿を許すことになる。

Unless the verification system is strictly adhered to, North Korea's suspected uranium enrichment program and nuclear proliferation will continue to be covered up.
堅固な検証体制でなければ、ウラン濃縮計画や核拡散の解明も進められない。

It is imperative that the five other nations in the six-party talks--Japan, China, Russia, South Korea and the United States--are united in pressing North Korea hard into accepting the verification procedures as soon as possible.
日米韓中露の５か国は、連携して、検証手続きの早期受け入れを迫ることが肝要だ。

Japan also needs to carefully assess the impact this latest move could have on the abduction issue, which North Korea has pledged to reinvestigate.
日本はまた、北朝鮮が再調査を約束した拉致問題にどんな影響が出てくるのかを、慎重に見極める必要がある。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Aug. 28, 2008)
（2008年8月28日01時52分 読売新聞）