To the Point

North Korea Admits Secret Nuclear Weapons Program

Two weeks ago, North Korea astonished the Bush administration with the concession that it is trying to make nuclear weapons. In acknowledging the effort, dictator Kim Jong Il distinguished himself from Saddam Hussein by openly admitting to the intentional violation of international agreements. While US officials say they hope for a -peaceful- solution, some hardliners believe that it-s time to get tough. As President Bush prepares for possible war against Iraq, is the US faced with another nuclear crisis in Asia? We look at this latest challenge to international security with reporters in Seoul and Washington, a former defense department official, and a former ambassador to South Korea. Newsmaker: US Compromises on UN Resolution on Iraq Today-s Los Angeles Times reports that the Bush Administration has bowed to pressure from Russia and France and agreed to a compromise Security Council proposal on Iraq. Tyler Marshall, who co-wrote the story, says that the US is effectively trading a single-resolution UN policy on Saddam Hussein for a process that postpones any potential American military intervention. Reporter-s Notebook: Ariel Sharon-s Visit to Washington For the seventh time in a year, President Bush and Prime Minister Sharon met yesterday in Washington. As the US tries to mobilize a coalition against Iraq, the White House is concerned about Israel-s occupation of the West Bank and destruction of Yasser Arafat-s headquarters, as Israel braces for the possibility of retaliation by Saddam Hussein. David Horovitz, editor of the Jerusalem Report, says that both parties got what they wanted.