WASHINGTON (AP) - After North Korea relented on nuclear inspection demands, the U.S. on Saturday erased from a terrorism blacklist the communist country President Bush once branded part of an "axis of evil."
The U.S. step, assailed by some conservatives who say it is sketchy and rewards North Korea's bad behavior, is aimed at salvaging a faltering disarmament accord before President Bush leaves office in January.
State Department officials said the inspection agreement and the decision to take North Korea off the state sponsors of terrorism list were in the interests of national security and consistent with the "action for action" principle of the negotiations....