A leading Republican senator suggested Sunday that the Bush administration should talk directly with North Korea as concerns grow over a possible test launch of a missile that could reach the United States. On CBS' Face The Nation, Sen. Richard Lugar, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the U.S. should not attack the missile while it is on the ground, before it is fired, as some have urged. "It would be advisable to bring about a much greater degree of diplomacy, and this may involve direct talks between the United States and North Korea," he told Bob Schieffer. | Where the North can rant and rave and cast spittle about, and where the U.S. will be required to concede and acquiese in order 'to keep talks on track'. And everytime we're tempted to walk away we'll be likened to ogres, meanies and not-very-nice guys -- that'll be by the NYT, the KCNA will be kinder. |
"We're going to have to come to a point where we find at least an agenda to talk with North Korea about, and I think we are moving toward that," Lugar said on CBS.
Sen. Barbara Boxer – who also appeared on Face The Nation – said no options should be taken off the table, but urged the president to continue with multi-party talks. "The kind of diplomacy that we engaged in at first was very tentative, got stronger, got better, got wiser," the California Democrat said. "I say you never take any option off the table, but I think if we can continue to get those countries that North Korea listens to, to keep up the pressure – that is Russia, that is China – we could avoid a serious escalation of this whole matter."