Both nominees have now reacted to the big news on North Korea. First broken by FNC’s Jennifer Griffin on Thursday has been made official.The United States announced Saturday it had removed North Korea from its list of state sponsors of terrorism, taking a major step toward improving relations with the communist country in exchange for North Korea opening up its nuclear program to scrutiny.

FOX News confirmed Saturday morning that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had signed a document removing North Korea from the terror list. The action came as North Korea agreed to all of the Bush administration’s nuclear inspection demands, and the country agreed to immediately begin disabling the Yongbyon nuclear facility and allow inspectors back in.

”Every single element of verification that we sought going in is part of this package,” State Department Sean McCormack said at a a rare weekend briefing.

Senator John McCain last night issued the following statement on North Korea:

“Reports indicate that the administration may soon remove North Korea from the list of state sponsors of terrorism. I have previously said that I would not support the easing of sanctions North Korea unless the United States is able to fully verify the nuclear declaration Pyongyang submitted on June 26. It is not clear that the latest verification arrangement will enable us to do so…

‘As this process moves forward, I expect the administration to explain exactly how this new verification agreement advances American interests and those of our allies before I will be able to support any decision to remove North Korea from the list of state sponsors of terrorism.”

READ FULL STATEMENT HERE

Senator Barack Obama’s Statement this morning:

“North Korea’s agreement to these verification measures is a modest step forward in dismantling its nuclear weapons programs. President Bush’s decision to remove North Korea from the list of state sponsors of terrorism is an appropriate response, as long as there is a clear understanding that if North Korea fails to follow through there will be immediate consequences. It is now essential that North Korea halt all efforts to reassemble its nuclear facilities, place them back under IAEA supervision, and cooperate fully with the international community to complete the disablement of the Yongbyon facilities and to implement a robust verification mechanism to confirm the accuracy of its nuclear declaration.

READ FULL STATEMENT HERE

READ BREAKDOWN BY JENNIFER GRIFFIN, OUR STAR PENTAGON REPORTER:

What does US and 6 party talks get in return for taking No Ko off terror list?

1) Access to the 15 declared nuclear sites including Yongbyon and scientists who worked there.

2) Onsite access to sites - collection and removal of forensic evidence - soil samples etc. - bringing them and documents back home for analysis

“They have agreed to the removal of samples,” Paula deSutter, verification asst second of state. “This was VERY important to us.”

3) Access to documents and records concerning North’s program.

4)
North Korea’s undeclared sites, its nuclear test site and military facilities can be inspected based on “mutual agreement”.

(Edit: some argue this gives North Korea a veto over process.)

5) Agreement calls for information on its highly enriched uranium activities and proliferation activities.
North Korea will still face heavy US sanctions - all exports there subject to licensing permission.

“The lifting today does not remove the leverage we have,” Song Kim - part of US negotiating team.

McCormack, “every element that we sought going into these negotiations we got.”

Verifiers are cautiously optimistic.

Rice delisted No Ko - signed at her residence this morning at 7:30 am.

Verifiers will deal with plutonium first - then hope to learn things about No Ko’s uranium enrichment program. (Something No Ko has never provided info on.)

Now the agreement goes to the other 4 allies in 6 party talks for official agreement on the protocol. A ministerial meeting should occur in Oct.

(FNC.com, AP, Jennifer contributed to his report)