Mitchell Reiss
Mitchell Reiss
Mitchell B. Reissis a senior American diplomat who is now the President and CEO of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation in Virginia. Immediately prior to this post, he served a tenure of four years as the 27th president of Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland. He served as Director of Policy Planning at the United States Department of State under Colin Powell. He also served as the United States Special Envoy for Northern Ireland, with the diplomatic rank of Ambassador, until stepping...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionDiplomat
CountryUnited States of America
We are hopeful that the North Koreans can show a little bit more realism, a little bit more flexibility.
There is a different future that is available to North Korea, if they choose differently.
The other countries did not share the same concern the United States had in the early '90's - that North Korea actually had an ongoing nuclear weapons program.
Now North Korea certainly is located in a different place geographically, but I think it faces the same type of strategic decision. Does it want a different future for its people?
Any agreement that you have isn't going to be based on North Korea's intentions or trust.
And I think they realize that the other five countries are lined up against them, because all five are opposed to North Korea having nuclear weapons.
The format's better because it gives us a much stronger hand to play when going to the North Koreans unified, with our allies and partners in the region, all of us saying the same thing: telling them their current course is unacceptable.
Everyone I have spoken with so far recognises the need for the IRA to respond positively and every has said sooner is better than later and I think there is some concern if it does continue to delay much longer that the situation isn't going to remain the same.
The negotiations didn't end when the six parties left Beijing.
The negotiations are continuing now through the media.
Again, I think we have much greater diplomatic weight by having all of us sit on the same side of the table wanting the same thing, and putting it to the North Koreans.
I'm not sure you can do anything quickly or easily with the North.
It's time for the IRA to go out of business.
They would rather the United States play the bad cop, and they could play the good cop - let the United States do all the heavy lifting here.