In the United States, Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry is advocating direct dialogue with North Korea in order to resolve the ongoing nuclear dispute.

Kerry's call for direct North Korea-U.S. dialogue features prominently in the foreign policy line espoused in the first draft of the 2004 Democratic platform.

The Democratic Party's 2004 draft platform also offers a stinging indictment of President George W. Bush's national security policies. The document charges that the Bush administration has "walked away from more than 100 years of American leadership in the world" and has left the country less safe.

The draft also says Bush's doctrine of preemptive military action has cost the United States the support of traditional allies, and accuses the administration of repeatedly missing opportunities to attract international support for the mission in Iraq.

The draft platform will be presented for approval to the Democratic National Committee next weekend in Miami, Florida, and adopted by the party at its national convention in Boston at the end of the month.