WASHINGTON (AP) – The North Koreans passed word they wanted a high-ranking U.S. government official for the job, so President Barack Obama sent a gruff former general to spirit home two Americans held captive by the hard-line communists.
Director of National Intelligence James Clapper is no diplomat by training, and that’s perhaps just why he earned the clandestine call.
For past visits to the unpredictable and reclusive country, the United States has sent smooth-tongued luminaries such as former Presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter.
But analysts who follow North Korea say Clapper may have been perfect.
The spy chief was senior enough to convey a message of respect to the North Korean. But he is not a diplomat, so he could beg off any unrelated demands the North Koreans may have made.