AFP
Saturday, December 30, 2006
North Korea on Saturday accused the United States of having
conducted at least 2,200 spy plane missions over the communist
country this year, its official media said.
"This means six reconnaissance planes were involved in the
espionage on a daily average," the state-run Korean Central
News Agency (KCNA) said.
Pyongyang has said such missions show the US aims to invade North
Korea despite Washington's categorical denials. Both sides are
locked in a standoff over North Korea's nuclear weapons programs.
The KCNA said "the US imperialist aggression forces"
had carried out their spy missions with reconnaissance planes
including the U-2, RC-135, E-3, EP-3, RC-7B and RC-12, either
based in South Korea or overseas.
Six-nation negotiations aimed at ending North Korea's nuclear
programs resumed in Beijing last week but ended in stalemate without
setting even a date for the next round.
North Korea refused to engage in substantive discussions at the
talks, citing no progress in the lifting of US sanctions imposed
on Pyongyang over allegations of money laundering and counterfeiting.
Pyongyang's October 9 nuclear test added to the urgency of resolving
the issue at the talks -- which group both Koreas, the United
States, China, Japan and Russia.
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