WASHINGTON, Feb. 14 (UPI) -- U.S. lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle are expressing dissatisfaction with a deal reached with North Korea over its nuclear program.
The pact, announced Tuesday, could lead North Korea to shut its main nuclear reactor.
Some GOP lawmakers say North Korea should have agreed to dismantle its entire nuclear program. Democrats say the new deal isn't any better than one they could have gotten four years ago, The New York Times reported.
North Korea has agreed to freeze plutonium production at its nuclear facility in Yongbyon and to allow international inspectors to verify compliance. In return, the United States, China, South Korea and Russia will provide food and fuel aid to North Korea.
The Times said the agreement could put the United States and Japan on a path toward normalizing relations with North Korea.
The deal is seen as a bureaucratic victory for U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. The newspaper said Rice pushed for more diplomacy with North Korea than more "hawkish administration officials" would have liked.
