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N. Korea upset by Bush's 'axis of evil'

PYONGYANG, North Korea, March 20 (UPI) -- North Korea's state newspaper on Monday condemned U.S. President George Bush for repeatedly calling the country part of an "axis of evil."

The commentary in the Rodung Sinmun newspaper said Bush's repeated claim was "little short of declaring the U.S. stance that it still regards (North Korea) as a target of military aggression, not a dialogue partner."

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Bush, who first called Iran, Iraq and North Korea the "axis of evil" in his State of the Union speech in 2002, made the reference again last week while detailing his security plans, and included Iran in the axis.

The commentary said the Bush administration's "bellicose doctrine of pre-emptive nuclear attack and war on terrorism" and its "hypocritical policy of spread of freedom and democracy" are the "very source of all evils in the world at present."

The United States, along with South Korea, Japan, Russia and China have been involved with fruitless negotiations with Pyongyang for almost two years about ceasing its nuclear enrichment program for atomic weapons production.

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