From The Associated Press, 8/27/03:
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-US-North-Korea.html
Powell Defends Aide's N. Korea Criticism
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON (AP) --
Secretary of State Colin Powell defended a controversial speech by his
top nonproliferation aide in which he launched a series of personal
attacks on North Korean leader Kim Jong Il.
Powell, in a Tuesday letter to Sen. John Kyl, R-Ariz., said the speech
by Undersecretary of State John Bolton was fully cleared by the State
Department and was consistent with administration policy.
The letter, Powell wrote, ``did not really break new ground with
regard to our disdain for the North Korean leadership and, as such,
was official.''
The State Department made the letter public Tuesday night.
In his speech, given four weeks ago in South Korea, Bolton said of
Kim, ``To give in to his extortionist demands would only encourage him
and, perhaps more ominously, other would-be tyrants around the
world.''
The speech included more than 40 personal attacks on Kim.
Kyl had written to Powell that the administration was sending ``mixed
messages'' on its North Korea policy.
He contrasted Bolton's speech with comments by State Department
official Jack Pritchard in which he reportedly told North Korean U.N.
officials that the speech reflected Bolton's personal views and not
U.S. policy.
Powell said Kyl's information was wrong.
Pritchard, Powell wrote, ``did not say or imply that Mr. Bolton was
speaking only in a personal capacity.''
On Monday, the State Department announced that Pritchard was leaving
the State Department to take a job in the private sector.
There have been reports that Pritchard disagreed with U.S. policy
toward North Korea.
He has denied that the Bolton speech contributed to his decision to
resign.
Powell said in the letter that Pritchard agreed to remain on at the
State Department for a while longer at Powell's request.
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Do ya get the feeling that the Bush administration is made up of a
buncha crazies?
Harry
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