Lost In Translation
This recent Newsweek article on North Korea is the kind of mix of useful information and lurid gossip that I now have to accept as the high-water mark of modern journalism. Much has been remarked upon regarding its reporting on Colin Powell's slapdown over the Agreed Framework.
But you may recall that the whole North Korea business, leading up to the recent nuclear test, began when the DPRK startlingly admitted to restarting their uranium project to a US envoy four years ago. I remember it very clearly when I first heard. So my jaw dropped when I read this:
There is some evidence that the Bush administration was seeking to manipulate intelligence on North Korea. During a visit to Pyongyang by lead negotiator James Kelly in October 2002, he presented what U.S. officials described as "proof" that the North had a secret uranium-enrichment program, undercutting Clintonite claims that Kim was adhering to a pledge not to advance his nuclear program. Bush officials later said the North Koreans had confessed. But diplomats now say that was a translation error. (Kelly could not be reached for comment.)
North Korea, from the people who brought you:
We gave him a chance to allow the inspectors in, and he wouldn’t let them in.
President George W. Bush, Press Conference 7/14/2003
posted by Andrew Foland | 11:08 PM
1 Comments:
I believe that is a reference to North Korean officials saying the "admission " was a misstranslation. If you've noticed, every time U.S. officials talk about said admission they couch it in very specific terms - along the lines of "we received what we took to be an admission."
North Koreans contend that whatever U.S. officials heard was mention of the DPRK's legal right to pursue enrichment, not an admission that they were.
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