The 06 February Washington Post article, “N. Korea Aims to Improve on Clinton-Era Nuclear Deal,” by Glen Kessler, touches on the October 2002 Bush administration accusation concerning North Korea’s uranium nuclear program:

U.S. intelligence analysts have closely tracked suspect purchases by North Korea that they believed were intended for use in a uranium facility, but the United States has never pinpointed its location. North Korea has adamantly denied it has a uranium program. In June 2004, U.S. negotiators presented the North Koreans with a lengthy list of items that U.S. intelligence believed North Korea had acquired overseas for the suspected uranium program. North Korea responded that U.S. intelligence was wrong — a stance that officials maintained in conversations last week with Albright and Joel Wit, a former State Department official. “The intelligence has not held up from their point of view,” Albright said.

However, the article failed to mention the official admission by the Pakistani government that one of their scientists, A.Q. Khan (who also aided Iran), aided North Korea’s uranium enrichment program with both informational and material assistance.

North Korea watchers already know “the rest of the story” when it comes to Pakistan’s assistance, but the impression that the average person likely would get from that portion of the article is that U.S. claims are based solely on intelligence analysis. Intelligence backed up by another nation’s official admission makes a much more powerful statement, and enables a more accurate understanding of the situation.

You can send the author, Glenn Kessler, a message asking him to correct this omission.