You have commented 340 times on Rantburg.

Your Name
Your e-mail (optional)
Website (optional)
My Original Nic        Pic-a-Nic        Sorry. Comments have been closed on this article.
Bold Italic Underline Strike Bullet Blockquote Small Big Link Squish Foto Photo
Submit your comments on this article
China-Japan-Koreas
Rice says only an idiot would trust North Korea
2008-12-21
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said in an interview released on Friday only an "idiot" would trust North Korea, which is why the United States is insisting on a way to check its nuclear claims.

A 2005 multilateral deal under which Pyongyang would abandon its nuclear programmes has become snagged on Pyongyang's refusal to spell out a protocol on how to verify its disclosures about its nuclear programmes. The sticking point appears to be North Korea's reluctance to allow inspectors to take samples to test a declaration of its atomic programmes that it submitted this year as part of the aid-for-disarmament agreement.

Speaking to a group of foreign policy experts and students on Wednesday, Rice rejected criticism from US conservatives who believe the Bush administration has been too trusting of Pyongyang in recent years. "Nobody was trusting of the North Koreans. I mean, who trusts the North Koreans? You'd have to be an idiot to trust the North Koreans," she said in the appearance at the Council of Foreign Relations think tank, prompting laughter. "That's why we have a verification protocol that we are negotiating," she added.
Posted by:Fred

#4  Christopher Hill of State would fit Rice's bill.
Posted by: Alaska Paul   2008-12-21 22:05  

#3  Verlaine, she's gonna be out of there in less than a month. She probably figured, what the hell....
Posted by: Cornsilk Blondie   2008-12-21 13:46  

#2  Ironic failure here by Condi. First, there's the policy, which has been ill-advised - and obviously so from the start. Second, the SecState looks/sounds undignified or unpolished using language like this. She should have communicated the idea differently. Bluster and colorful language don't make up for lack of nerve or vision. The mystery is that this administration initially did the right thing, got abused for it, THEN flip-flopped back to an approach reminiscent of previous, less capable administrations.

Imagine if the US had flip-flopped on the ABM Treaty after abrogation, or implored the Int. Criminal Court for admission after rejecting the idea of participation. That's how weird I see the Nork policy progression having been. The 'Stache called it an "intellectual collapse" - but I can't figure out WHAT to call it.
Posted by: Verlaine   2008-12-21 13:12  

#1  Which explains Mr. Carter.
Posted by: P2k on holiday   2008-12-21 11:34  

00:00