Some reaction to the United States lifting trade sanctions against North Korea and moving to remove it from the U.S. terrorism blacklist:

"Today's developments show that tough multilateral diplomacy can yield promising results. Yet the diplomatic process is not an end in itself. Our ultimate goal remains clear: a stable and peaceful Korean peninsula, where people are free from oppression, free from hunger and disease, and free from nuclear weapons. The journey toward that goal remains long, but today we have taken an important step in the right direction." President Bush.

"While North Korea's tardy declaration of its nuclear program is a positive step, removing the regime from the list of state sponsors of terrorism is premature. This dictatorship remains a real threat to the region and their blatant violations, time and time again, should not be forgotten." Sen. Kit Bond, R-Mo.

"North Korea's declaration of its nuclear programs and activities is a step toward the goal of verifiably eliminating the North's nuclear weapons and related facilities, but a lot of tough work lies ahead." Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del.

"Lifting sanctions and removing North Korea from the list of state sponsors of terrorism flies in the face of history and rewards its brutal dictator for shallow gestures. Just as the Clinton administration was fooled by the Kim Jong-Il regime, time will soon tell if the Bush administration will fall for the same bait." Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R-Mich.

"Although more work remains to verifiably end North Korea's nuclear weapons program, this important achievement for the Bush administration is the direct result of painstaking, multilateral diplomacy." Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb.

"In rewarding North Korea this way, we risk abandoning true and steadfast allies like Japan and we send a message to the regimes in Damascus and Tehran that the United States will endorse a reckless disregard of our own interests." Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla.

"The declaration by North Korea of its nuclear program, the destruction of the cooling tower at Yongbyon, and granting access to its personnel and nuclear sites vindicate the Bush administration's policy of engaging in negotiations with North Korea to end its nuclear weapons program." Leonor Tomero, of the Center for Arms Control and Nonproliferation.

"Now the president must not prematurely close the books on North Korea's alleged uranium enrichment activities and nuclear exports. We must ensure there are credible verification and monitoring procedures to ensure North Korea is out of the nuclear business for the long term." Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass.

"The administration has wisely chosen to assess Pyongyang's sincerity in moving forward with the verification process during the congressionally mandated 45-day waiting period before North Korea can be removed officially from the state sponsors of terrorism list. You can be sure Congress will also closely monitor North Korea's actions. For now, the ball is squarely in Pyongyang's court." Rep. Howard Berman, D-Calif.

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