posted April 22, 2003 at 11:42 AM MDT
Rumsfeld trashed 6000 years of world history to diminish Powell ... maybe he'll do the same to North Korea? What'll the "collateral damage" be in /that. case?
Rumsfeld calls for regime change in North Korea - "A secret Donald Rumsfeld memorandum calling for regime change in North Korea was leaked yesterday, opening a fresh foreign policy split in the Bush administration. The classified discussion paper, circulated by the defence secretary, appears to cut directly across State Department plans to disarm Kim Jong-il, the North's dictator, through threats leavened by promises that his regime is not a target for overthrow.
" ... Mr Bush has said that he "loathes" Kim Jong-il, who is believed to have killed a tenth of his population through starvation and imprisonment in vast labour camps.
Colin Powell, the secretary of state, is said to have secured the president's approval for a carrot and stick approach in a meeting last week. Mr Powell called for threats to withhold aid and investment from North Korea, while assuring the regime that it faces no threat from the United States.
Mr Rumsfeld, who was "distracted" by the war against Saddam Hussein, did not attend the meeting and may now be trying to regain some traction in the Korea debate, officials speculated."