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Friday 21 September 2018

U.S.: Possible October talks with North Korea on war remains

By ROBERT BURNS DNA analysis and other ex-
AP National Security Writer tensive study. The first two
WASHINGTON (AP) — The identifications came rela-
U.S. hopes to begin face- tively quickly, he said, be-
to-face negotiations with cause the remains includ-
North Korea next month on ed partial skulls with teeth
terms for resuming on-the- that could be matched to
ground searches in North dental records, as well as
Korea for remains of Ameri- clavicles matched to mili-
can servicemen, a senior tary X-ray records.
Pentagon official said The remains contained in
Thursday. the 55 boxes had been
Kelly McKeague, director stored by the North Kore-
of the Defense POW-MIA an army, probably for de-
Accounting Agency, said cades. Thousands of addi-
the aim is to begin search- tional remains are believed
es at former battlefields to lie on North Korean bat-
next spring if agreement tlefields and at former POW
can be reached on areas camps. McKeague said
of current dispute such as the Pentagon would like to
the types and amounts of send search and excava-
compensation to North Ko- tion teams into the coun-
rea for its assistance. try as early as next spring if
Remains of two American Vice President Mike Pence, left, gestures to an American flag that was used during the return acceptable arrangements
of remains from the Korean War in Hawaii in August 2018, while presenting it to the Korean War
servicemen killed during Veterans Memorial Foundation, Thursday, Sept. 20, 2018, during a ceremony at the Korean War can be negotiated in ad-
the Korean War and re- Veterans Memorial in Washington. vance.
turned by North Korea two Associated Press North Korea recently sub-
months ago were identified mitted proposed terms for
by President Donald Trump military identification tag and hopefully their families mains from the 55 boxes follow-on search opera-
on Thursday, as Army Mas- was among the 55 boxes can have closure," Trump are "a vanguard of what's tions, but McKeague said
ter Sgt. Charles H. McDan- of remains that North Korea tweeted. to come" from future recov- the offer was rejected. He
iel, 32, of Vernon, Indiana, turned over on July 27. The Also Thursday, Vice Presi- eries of war dead in North described the offer as "out
and Army Pfc. William H. tag was turned over to his dent Mike Pence spoke Korea. The U.S. conducted of sorts," which he said
Jones, 19, of Nash County, sons. These are the first two about the remains recov- excavations in North Korea meant that some elements
North Carolina. service members identified ery during remarks to the from 1996 to 2005 but sus- were unreasonable. He
McDaniel's name had al- from those remains. Korean War Veterans Me- pended them amid rising cited as an example a de-
ready been made pub- "These HEROES are home, morial Foundation, but he political and military ten- mand that the U.S. provide
lic last month because his they may Rest In Peace, did not reveal the names sions on the Korean penin- eight ambulances in addi-
of the two who have been sula. tion to other vehicles, fuel,
identified. He presented McKeague said it was un- food and other items.
the foundation with an clear how many individu- The U.S. is preparing a coun-
American flag that was als are contained in the 55 terproposal, McKeague
among those draped over boxes, but he said it could said, and has offered to
the 55 boxes from North Ko- be dozens more than 55. He meet with a North Korean
rea. described the bones as a negotiating team in a third
He said he hoped the re- "mish-mash" that will require country in late October.q

Envoy: US, Canada working

24/7 on revamped NAFTA deal

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Canada for a summit of co. Until then, he has time
and Canadian negotia- women foreign ministers Fri- to bring Canada back into
tors are working around the day but said she and Ligh- the regional trading bloc.
clock on a deal to keep thizer remain in close con- Freeland shrugged off the
Canada in a North Ameri- tact by phone and email. Sept. 30 deadline, saying
can trade bloc ahead of a Canada was left out when she cared only about "get-
Sept. 30 U.S. deadline. the United States and Mexi- ting a deal that is good for
"Our officials are in pretty co reached an agreement Canada and good for Ca-
much constant contact," last month to revamp the nadians."
Canadian Minister of For- North American Free Trade Jerry Dias, president of the
eign Affairs Chrystia Free- Agreement. Freeland is Canadian private-sector
land told reporters after trying to get the No. 2 U.S. union Unifor, expressed
meetings Thursday with trade partner reinstated. "guarded optimism" about
her counterpart, U.S. Trade The countries are under the talks.
Rep. Robert Lighthizer. "It pressure to reach a deal by The U.S., he said, "is now
would not be an exagger- the end of the month, when recognizing that there is
ation to say they are work- Lighthizer must make pub- not going to be a deal" if it
ing 24/7." lic a copy of the full text of does not make some con-
Freeland is returning to the agreement with Mexi- cessions to Canada.q