NKorea Offers US Olive Branch

This via Agence France-Presse (AFP).

North Korea has offered the United States talks on its missile launch plans, indicating it might put off a flight test that has raised tensions and drawn sharp international warnings.

The number two diplomat at North Korea's UN mission was quoted saying the secretive state was open to talks with Washington, where there were reports that the US missile defence shield had been activated in case of a launch.

"The United States says it is concerned about our missile test launch," Han Song-Ryol told South Korea's Yonhap news agency. "Our position is, 'Okay then, let's talk about it.'"

But he underlined the North's position that it had every right to develop, deploy and test-fire missiles.

Let us hope Bushco has enough smarts to agree to such talks. This nuke rattling is getting tiresome.