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Renew Deal

(81,855 posts)
Tue Apr 9, 2013, 02:48 PM Apr 2013

U.S. and North Korea held secret meeting in March

A top State Department official met with a top representative of the North Korean government in New York in March, The Cable has learned.

Clifford Hart, the State Department's special envoy to the now-defunct six-party talks, met North Korea's deputy ambassador to the United Nations Han Song-ryol in mid-March, just before North Korea began its latest string of provocative statements and actions, diplomatic sources said. The meeting was done through what's known in diplomatic circles as the "New York channel," the most common method of direct communication between Washington and Pyongyang.

No real progress was made during the meeting and no new offers were made by the U.S. officials present, the sources said. The U.S. side simply reiterated the administration's call for North Korea to avoid provocative actions as well as its offer for a return to diplomacy if North Korea recommitted to fulfilling its international obligations and pursuing a path of denuclearization. The North Korean side simply agreed to communicate that information back to Pyongyang.

For outside experts critical of the Obama administration's current approach to North Korea, which is based on the principle of "strategic patience," or waiting for Pyongyang to change its calculus and rejoin multilateral talks, the meeting is only the latest indication that the administration's policy is stagnant.
<snip>

http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2013/04/09/exclusive_us_and_north_korea_held_secret_meeting_in_march

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U.S. and North Korea held secret meeting in March (Original Post) Renew Deal Apr 2013 OP
Bear in mind that Josh Rogin of The Cable only writes negative stuff about Obama. TwilightGardener Apr 2013 #1
I was wondering about that fourth paragraph. Renew Deal Apr 2013 #2
No problem--his stuff is worth reading, but he usually employs TwilightGardener Apr 2013 #4
President Obama is probably used to dealing with unreasonable people Proud Liberal Dem Apr 2013 #7
I can't read your link without registration. MineralMan Apr 2013 #3
Cut and paste the URL once the page loads, even with the registration screen. TwilightGardener Apr 2013 #5
That's OK. I'm not that curious to read it. MineralMan Apr 2013 #6
I was able to read it without registering Renew Deal Apr 2013 #8

TwilightGardener

(46,416 posts)
1. Bear in mind that Josh Rogin of The Cable only writes negative stuff about Obama.
Tue Apr 9, 2013, 03:20 PM
Apr 2013

(and his administration members). He's factual, but only consults Republican sources and uses the GOP slant. I've not seen it otherwise from him.

Renew Deal

(81,855 posts)
2. I was wondering about that fourth paragraph.
Tue Apr 9, 2013, 03:35 PM
Apr 2013

But I couldn't really argue the point either way. Thanks for the heads up.

TwilightGardener

(46,416 posts)
4. No problem--his stuff is worth reading, but he usually employs
Tue Apr 9, 2013, 03:48 PM
Apr 2013

a negative analysis or spin. He could report this as: Obama tried again to restart diplomacy with North Korea before the current crisis--but why make Obama look like he's trying to do his job? Nah, make him sound like a failure.

Proud Liberal Dem

(24,406 posts)
7. President Obama is probably used to dealing with unreasonable people
Tue Apr 9, 2013, 04:00 PM
Apr 2013

He does it all of the time here at home. Not much he- or anybody else- can do about it.

MineralMan

(146,286 posts)
3. I can't read your link without registration.
Tue Apr 9, 2013, 03:46 PM
Apr 2013

So, I have no way to judge. I don't register on websites like that one.

TwilightGardener

(46,416 posts)
5. Cut and paste the URL once the page loads, even with the registration screen.
Tue Apr 9, 2013, 03:51 PM
Apr 2013

Paste it onto a google search, click the google link, and it may let you read it.

MineralMan

(146,286 posts)
6. That's OK. I'm not that curious to read it.
Tue Apr 9, 2013, 03:53 PM
Apr 2013

Registration walls keep me off sites. There are plenty that don't have them. I refuse.

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