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NORTH KOREA REMAINS UNYIELDING IN PUFBLO CRISIS
North Koreans show no signs of recreating from the confrontation with the USby their seizure of the Pueblo and its crew.
They appear to be garbling or. tne assumption that, bytne crew a* hostages, they can deter US military reprisals, force che US to restrain che South Koreans, and prolong che confrontation. Their iznediate aim apparently is to maintain diversionary pressures on che USigh level during checountry-wide Coioauniscin South Vietnam. Over the longer term, Pyongyanghopes these tactics will aggravateouth Koreandiscredit the Seouland extract valuable concessions from the US.
The North Koreans arethe defiant stance they adopted during the Military Arnistice Commission meeting cnanuary. In officialand propaganda, Pyongyang has maintained it acted within its rightsovereign state, and that the Pueblo was engaged in hostile activity in Northterricorial waters. -as attempted to document its version of the incident by broadcasting an allegedand other statements by the commander of the Pueblo. Communisc propaganda has actercpted co connect the Pueblo with the war ln Vietnam. The commander waa said to have stated his mission was in preparation
new war" of aggression in Asia and that th* US regardsand Vietnam as "two fronts of the war."
The North Koreans have avoided specifying conditions fcr the release of the Pueblo and its crew. Pyongyang nas, however, repeatedly conderrned efforts to involve tne UN. igh-ranking North Korean leader complained onanuary that the US wasolution through "illegal discussions at the United Nations." He went ar. to observe that "thererecedent for the treatment of similar cases at the KoreanArmistice Commission."
This "precedent" probably refers to negotiations at Pan-munjoaiver the face of two CS helicopter pilots downed in North Korea. In its desire to extract maximumvalue from that case,Pyongyang kept thegoing foronths before releasing the pilots.
Despite their militant stand, nothing the North Koreans have done suggests they are about co embark an laroe-scale
*ropaganaaclaim that the country is "prepared to counter any provocations or surprise."
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ront, tha Soviet L'nicr. aas supported trie Mori-osition whilene incident as aco be resolvef between theorea. .Moscow's
ppear designed soituation and so foreicall anyuii-tary iccicn, whileheir
unassailable. Kosy-i- reflected this lineiso westernew Delhi, saying tnat the incidentiola-tier, of territorial waters andCe sactlef as such by the twe countries involved.
The Soviets voted against the rtattir being brought before the Security Council out haveillingness co have Nortn Korea invited to appear before che council as long as the invitation is unconditional. The Security Council has been stalemated over the issue of inviting North Korea to attend.
Peking's reaction co the Pueslo incident has beenrestrained and has 1voided any specific reference co steps China Might take to support Pyongyang. Although the Chinese Government statement onan-
uary warned tnat "CSad forgotten the lesson ic ua taught in che Koreant pronised onlyChiaoind peoplee just stand" of 5cr Korea. Theeareder.oao.'to portray the Pueslc's rapture firth* evidencelans tohe war infavorite these cf recent Chinese.
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Original document.
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