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              NKorea to US: No Talks without Removal of Sanctions

   North Korea is demanding the withdrawal of United Nations sanctions and
   an end to joint U.S.-South Korean military drills before any talks with
   Washington can begin.
   The conditions were outlined Thursday by the North`s National Defense
   Commission, the country`s top military body, and carried by the
   state-run Korean Central News Agency.
   The tough conditions are all but certain to be dismissed by the U.S.,
   which has said Pyongyang must take steps to dismantle its nuclear
   program before any talks.
   But statement could also be seen as a possible sign Pyongyang is
   finally ready to consider dialogue, following weeks of threats against
   the U.S. and South Korea.
   However, a spokesperson for South Korea`s foreign ministry on Thursday
   dismissed the conditions as "absurd."
   "We again strongly urge North Korea to stop making such demands, which
   are hard to understand. And we also urge them to make a wise choice, as
   we have repeatedly said before."
   Pyongyang is upset at tough U.N. sanctions passed in response to its
   long-range rocket launch in December and nuclear test in February. The
   Defense Commission statement, which was later broadcast on state
   television, called the sanctions "cooked up on ridiculous grounds."
   "They should take measures of retracting the U.N. Security Council`s
   resolution on sanctions. They should bear in mind that doing so would
   be a token of good will towards North Korea."
   The statement also blasted joint military drills between Washington and
   Seoul, which Pyongyang views as preparation to invade its country. It
   said the drills will end if the U.S. and South Korea are serious about
   talks, insisting that "dialogue and war cannot co-exist."
   Washington, which says the drills are defensive in nature, has taken
   recent steps to reduce the visibility of the annual war games, out of
   concern that tensions on the Korean peninsula were reaching dangerous
   levels.
   The massive demonstration of U.S. military superiority has included the
   deployment of nuclear-capable B-52s and B-2 stealth bombers. The
   exercise, known as Foal Eagle, is set to last through the end of April.
   North Korea last week angrily rejected talks offered by the United
   States and South Korea aimed at defusing tensions, calling the move a
   "crafty trick." U.N. Secretary Ban Ki-moon urged Pyongyang to
   reconsider, saying Wednesday he believed the offer is "genuine."
   The North has also threatened to carry out a medium-range missile test,
   which has kept U.S. and South Korean forces on a heightened state of
   alert. Thursday`s statement made no mention of the test, which U.S.
   officials have said could come at any time.
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/nkorea-to-us-no-talks-without-removal
   -of-sanctions/1643893.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/nkorea-to-us-no-talks-without-removal-of-sanctions/1643893.html