U.S. presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama have responded cautiously to North Korea's declaration of its nuclear activities.
Senator McCain Thursday called the declaration "a modest step forward," but said it was only a step covering one part of North Korea's activities.
He said the expected destruction of a nuclear cooling tower Friday would be another step, but said it is important to remember that the goal is a full, permanent, and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
Senator Obama said critical questions about North Korea's nuclear program remain unanswered. He said sanctions against the country are an important part of leverage to pressure North Korea to act. President George Bush promised to lift trade restrictions now that North Korea submitted the declaration.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.
