North Korea will comply with U.S. nuclear inspections, Gets Removed from Terror List

WASHINGTON -

A U.S. official has says that North Korea has agreed to all U.S. nuclear inspection demands. The development allows the Bush administration to remove the communist country from a U.S. terrorism blacklist.

The official says North Korea will allow atomic experts to take samples and conduct forensic tests at all of the North's declared nuclear facilities and undeclared sites on mutual consent.

The official says the North will allow experts to verify that it has told the truth about transfers of nuclear technology and an alleged uranium program.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity, not wanted to pre-empt Saturday's announcement of the agreement. The deal is aimed at salvaging a faltering nuclear disarmament accord.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

WASHINGTON (AP) - The United States is dropping North Korea from a terrorism blacklist, The Associated Press has learned, in the latest attempt to salvage a nuclear disarmament deal before President Bush's term ends in January.

The State Department planned an 11 a.m. EDT announcement Saturday about removing the secretive communist country from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism, U.S. officials said.

The removal is only provisional, they said. North Korea would return to the list if it fails to comply with inspections of its nuclear facilities as part of the effort to get it to abandon atomic weapons.

The action comes as North Korea moves to restart a disabled nuclear reactor and takes other provocative steps, including expelling U.N. inspectors and test-firing missiles. These steps in recent weeks have heightened tensions with the U.S. and threatened the shaky agreement.

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The United States on Saturday removed North Korea from its list of states that sponsor terrorism, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said.