Abductees' families disappointed at U.S. delisting of N. Korea+

TOKYO, Oct. 12 Kyodo -
The families of Japanese victims of North Korea's past abductions expressed
their disappointment and anger over the U.S. move Saturday to drop the country
from its list of nations sponsoring terrorism.
The families also called on the Japanese government to hammer out strong
measures to secure the return of those Japanese nationals who were kidnapped by
North Korea in the 1970s and 1980s and not to rely on the United States any
more.
Shigeo Iizuka, 70, who heads a group of Japanese abductees' families, said, ''I
cannot help feeling empty because everything is decided somewhere beyond our
reach. I feel completely helpless.''
During his visit to the United States in November last year, Iizuka appealed
directly to Christopher Hill, U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asian
and Pacific affairs, to keep North Korea on the U.S. blacklist.
''As we have lost a great card for making progress on the abduction issue, the
Japanese government has to hammer out steps that are just as strong'' as the
impact of the United States having North Korea on its blacklist, he said.
Iizuka's group plans to call on the Japanese government to strengthen economic
sanctions against North Korea.
Teruaki Masumoto, 53-year-old secretary general of the family group, criticized
the Japanese government for failing to get the United States to keep North
Korea on the list.
''If it (the Japanese government) cannot persuade an allied country (not to
change the list), how can it persuade North Korea and bring back the abducted
victims?'' he said.
As to the U.S. government, Masumoto described its delisting as an act of
''betrayal'' of Japan, saying the United States had failed to provide
cooperation to help the abducted citizens of its allies.
Meanwhile, Shigeru Yokota, 75, whose daughter Megumi was abducted to North
Korea in 1977 at age 13 and is also reported by Pyongyang to have died,
expressed understanding of the U.S. decision.
''The United States acted in accordance with its national interests. It may
have been unavoidable for the United States to decide to do so, because of its
stance of giving priority to nuclear issues,'' Yokota said.
He called on the Japanese government not to rely on the United States to solve
the abduction issue and to take a strong posture to have North Korea resume
investigations into the abductions.
==Kyodo