White House Rejects New Talks With North Korea

The White House is rejecting the idea of new multinational talks with North Korea, saying it needs to change its "belligerent" behavior first.

Press secretary Robert Gibbs said Tuesday there are no plans to debrief New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson after his trip to the North earlier this week.

Richardson reported Pyongyang will allow U.N. inspectors back into its main nuclear complex. He said that gesture and the North's restraint in not retaliating for South Korean artillery drills could provide a basis for new six-party talks.

But Gibbs said the North is not "even remotely ready" for such talks. He said what Washington wants is conciliatory deeds, not words.