US strikes NKorea from terror blacklist

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The United States removed North Korea from a terrorism blacklist, US officials said Saturday, as Washington said it got everything it wanted in a nuclear disarmament deal.

“The secretary of state has rescinded the designation of North Korea as a state terror sponsor,” said spokesman Sean McCormack, announcing the decision to remove Pyongyang from the list of countries sponsoring terrorism now that there is agreement on steps to verify its nuclear disarmament.

US officials said the verification includes both the plutonium program as well as any uranium enrichment and proliferations activities.

“Every element of verification that we sought is included in this package. “It’s an important point. Every single thing that we sought going in is part of this package,” McCormack told reporters.