Gridlock News

Former Secretary of State came out with guns blazing as he sniped off a letter to John McCain supporting McCain's fight with President George Bush over Bush's attempts to alter and remove several protections provided within Article 3 of the Geneva Convention. The former cabinet members actions against the president he worked for in conjunction with the GOP 2008 front runner is unusual, especially during a mid-term election season when the President's approval ratings are still hovering in the mid thirty percent range. Among many comments, Powell wrote, "The world is beginning to doubt the moral basis of our fight against terrorism," and he continued, "To redefine Common Article 3 would add to those doubts."  Then, "Furthermore, it would put our troops at risk." Technorati Tags: Geneva Convention, Bush, Powell, McCain

North Korea rejected an offer from US Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill. South Korea's Vice foreign Minister reported this surprising twist, indicating that Hill's offer may have not been sanctioned by Washington.

Both the rejection and the offer provide a surprising glimpse into the problems at hand. North Korea has been demanding unilateral talks with the United States for many months. The demands of North Korea have been met with equally strong rebuff's by the United States. The United States continues to push for 6 party multilateral talks working to engage all of the stakeholders of the region, including Russia, Japan, South Korea and China

Technorati Tags: multilateral talks, North Korea, Christopher Hill