Left Flank

J. Thomas Schieffer, American ambassador to Japan, should be told that the national papers are not the White House intercom. Especially, that is, when he uses the newspaper to bitch and try to pull rank.

In his cable, sources said, Schieffer stressed that he does not believe that Japanese interests should dictate U.S. policy toward North Korea. But he warned the president that rumors were flying in Tokyo that the talks on removing North Korea from the terror list were progressing rapidly, which he suggested could potentially harm U.S. relations with its closest ally in the Pacific. He noted that Assistant Secretary of State Christopher R. Hill had assured him that North Korea needed to first show substantial progress on the abduction issue before any action was taken, but Schieffer said he was seeking direction and clarification in part because the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo appeared cut out of the process.

But, it's no surprise Ambassador Schieffer would take this route, when Congress and the State Department are going at it in the other papers. And, that's with this sparing going on in the House Foreign Relations Committee hearings with Assistant Secretary Christopher Hill.

Democratic and Republican lawmakers on the panel made clear their doubts about whether North Korea could be trusted to come clean on its nuclear activities and follow through on the denuclearization pledges.

«My fear is that we will settle for something less than hard decommission» of the North's nuclear reactor, said Rep. Brad Sherman, a California Democrat and chairman of the House Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation and Trade.

Sherman accused the Bush administration of soft-pedaling doubts about North Korea to achieve a lone diplomatic success amid what he said were failures in Iraq and Iran.

«What I can assure you is that we are not playing 'trust me,'» Hill said of the U.S. dealings with North Korea. «We cannot conclude this process without getting to the heart of any proliferation concerns.»

Indiana Republican Rep. Dan Burton demanded that Hill share more information with Congress on reports that the Syrian targets bombed last month by Israel were buildings under construction similar in design to a North Korean reactor.

Such nuclear cooperation, denied by Syria and North Korea, would violate Pyongyang's nonproliferation pledges and could kill congressional support for the deal.

«You guys over at State can't keep this from Congress,» Burton said, noting that Congress is being asked to approve $106 million to pay for denuclearizing North Korea.

Hill told the panel he was unable to discuss national intelligence matters in an open hearing.

Speaking of hanging leaders (of both parties, retired or serving), I'm willing to give government officials the benefit of the doubt until the proof of their perfidy or incompetence is too overwhelming. After all, I elected a few of these people, so I can't gloat. But, arguing in public like this is worse than advertising the government's problems. Diplomatic negotiations and intelligence are off-limits in public discourse. The Bush administration has been fractious starting even with its transition before the inaugural, and it has infected Washington with that disease ever since then.

Do we have to clear the rolls before the next election and ban this rotten brood for the rest of their careers?