White House says U.S. ready to talk with North Korea anytime, anywhere

<br>WASHINGTON (AP) _ As North Korea offered to reopen peace talks, a White House spokesman said Wednesday that the United States is ready for dialogue with the communist Pyongyang regime ``anytime, anywhere.''

Wednesday, April 3rd 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

WASHINGTON (AP) _ As North Korea offered to reopen peace talks, a White House spokesman said Wednesday that the United States is ready for dialogue with the communist Pyongyang regime ``anytime, anywhere.''

But White House press secretary Ari Fleischer brushed aside the condition that North Korea set for future talks: that the United States cease its ``groundless slanders.''

Asked if President Bush was willing to stop using the term ``axis of evil'' to describe North Korea, Iran and Iraq, Fleischer told reporters at the White House, ``The president will continue to speak out forthrightly about what he sees as ways to make peace throughout the world.

``Our position has always been and will continue to be that we welcome dialogue with North Korea anytime anywhere,'' Fleischer added.

North Korea's official news agency KCNA quoted that country's Foreign Ministry spokesman as saying Wednesday that Pyongyang has decided to resume talks with the United States so long as ``groundless slanders against (North Korea) should not be repeated.''

During a visit to South Korea in February, Bush repeated his assertion that the North Koreans are evil but also renewed an offer to start talks with the North on ending its development of missiles and weapons of mass destruction. Pyongyang rejected that offer.

U.S. and South Korean officials say that North Korea may already have enough plutonium to build one or two atomic bombs. But Pyongyang has kept United Nations inspectors out of its nuclear facilities.

The Koreas, divided in 1945, share the world's most heavily armed border. Since the 1950-53 Korean War ended without a peace treaty, about 37,000 U.S. troops have been stationed in South Korea as a deterrent against invasion by the North.

Inter-Korean ties, which warmed after the first-ever summit of their leaders in 2000, cooled after Bush took office last year.