Table ready for North Korea

WASHINGTON – The Obama administration said Sunday it is willing to hold direct talks with North Korea over its nuclear weapons if it first resumes international negotiations.

Despite reports of his declining health, North Korean leader Kim Jong Il seems fully in charge of the reclusive communist country, White House national security adviser James Jones said.

Jones said former President Bill Clinton passed no official messages and made no promises during his mission last week to bring home two American journalists. Making the rounds of the Sunday talk shows, Jones added few details. He did say Clinton “was able to convey his personal views of the issue of the moment, which is making sure nuclear weapons do not appear on the Korean peninsula.”

Jones said North Korea has said it wants better relations and long has sought one-on-one talks with the United States, as opposed to the six-nation negotiations involving the U.S., South Korea, Japan, China and Russia. Both Jones and U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice said the United States is ready to resume the kind of direct talks held in the latter years of the Bush administration.

“Meaning if they come back to the talks, we will talk to them bilaterally within those talks,” Jones said.

Clinton and Kim held more than three hours of discussions, but Jones said North Korea got nothing out of the visit except a photo opportunity. Photos of the visit include Clinton standing with Kim, who is noticeably thinner following what may have been a stroke last year.

“Kim appeared to be in control of his government and sounded very reasoned,” Jones said. “He seemed in control of his faculties.”