While it Talks of Peace Dialogue and negotiations are currently underway between the Democratic People s Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the United States. An article in The Pyongyang Times points out that if good results are to be obtained in dialogue and negotiation both sides should respect each other and neither side should commit such an act as going against the grit of the other side. This is a moral principle both parties should observe in dialogue, it points out. Whenever the opportunity presents itself, the Untied States makes a big splash about the relaxation of tension and peace as if it were concerned about the settlement of the Korean issue. But its deeds do not agree with its words. To prove the point, the article points to the Ulji Focus Lens joint military exercise the U.S. conducted in collusion with the south Korean authorities, the deployment of depleted uranium in south Korea and the process of negotiations for the conclusion of a land-mines ban treaty. The U.S. describes the Ulji Focus Lens war rehearsal as a general command drill to cope with time of war, the article points out, so as to cover up its aggressive nature. But it is a foolish attempt. During the recent war rehearsal, they conducted north-targeted exercises, such as landing operations, marine offensive operations, and coast infiltration operations on the East Sea of Korea under the command of the Blue Ridge belonging to the U.S. 7th Fleet. At the same time, they saw to it that the south Korean combat units staged land, sea and air combine landing exercises and a large-scale forced river-crossing exercise. Even a mere child knows that these drills were staged on simulated conditions of attacking the DPRK, the article says. They depict these war rehearsals as those of a defensive nature with a view to justifying them, the article continues. Another example of this is the stand of the U.S. on landmines. In the course of negotiations for the conclusion of a treaty to ban anti-personnel mines which took place at the initiative of Canada, the U.S. said that it could not spring the mines laid on the Korean peninsula because of a constant danger of attack by the north Korean army. The U.S. has openly deployed depleted uranium in south Korea which once existed in Japan, the article points out. All this shows that the U.S. warmongers care nothing for the peaceful reunification of Korea and their policy of stifling the DPRK remains unchanged. If the U.S. war-thirsty elements continue to bring the situation on the Korean peninsula to the brink of war, the relations between the DPRK and the U.S. will not be improved and the U.S. will remain the long-standing enemy of the Korean people, the Pyongyang Times points out. The U.S. should face up to the situation properly and give up its hostile policy towards the DPRK. This will be good for the U.S. itself, it concludes. TML DAILY, 10.97 Shawgi Tell Graduate School of Education University at Buffalo [EMAIL PROTECTED]