The White House said yesterday that Iran and the Democratic People's
Republic of Korea (DPRK) remain part of the "axis of evil" labeled by US
President George W. Bush in 2002.
"I think that until they give up their nuclear weapons programs completely
and verifiably, I think that we keep them in the same category," White House
spokeswoman Dana Perino told reporters.
Perino said that thanks to great efforts by the international community, the
DPRK has agreed in the six-party talks to reveal and dismantle its nuclear
programs.
The six-party talks, involving the United States, the DPRK, China, South
Korea, Japan and Russia, were designed for the settlement of nuclear issues on
the Korean peninsula.
While the six-party talks are bearing fruit, Perino said "Iran's a different
story ... They're missing an opportunity for a very generous incentives package,
and that additional sanctions could be on the way."
Perino made the remarks after the talks between European Union (EU) foreign
policy chief Javier Solana and Iranian top nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili in
Geneva on Saturday.
US Undersecretary of State William Burns and senior diplomats from China,
Russia, Britain, France and Germany attended the Geneva nuclear talks.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who is visiting the United Arab
Emirates, accused Iran yesterday of not being serious at weekend talks about its
disputed nuclear program despite the presence of a senior US diplomat. She
warned the Islamic Republic may soon face new sanctions.