Rumsfeld: “Kim Jung Il`s Regime Should Be Ousted”

U.S. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld circulated a secret memorandum to key members of the administration and the Pentagon proposing that “the United States team up with China to press for the ouster of North Korea`s leadership,” reported The New York Times on April 21.

The statement in the memo claims diplomatic pressure for changing the Kim Jung-il regime on the surface, but we should pay attention because it can also be interpreted that the U.S. has not excluded the military option for this so-called `regime change`.

President George W. Bush and Mr. Rumsfeld officially and carefully ruled out the possibility for a military strike on North Korea saying that “this is a moment for diplomacy and that no military action is currently being contemplated,” the paper added.

According to the same source, the memo was circulated just days before President Bush approved the start of negotiations with North Korea, but has not yet adopted it as its official stance.

U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell received final approval for his approach by President Bush last week which is to offer North Korea assurances that “the United States is not trying to undermine the North`s government, but until its nuclear program is dismantled, the country will receive no aid or investment,” reported the paper.

White House officials said that they “had not heard of it" when asked of the circulation of the memo which reviews the removal of North Korea`s regime, but suggested that “assuming The New York Times reported such as article, hard-liners in the U.S. who are discontented with the three nation talks may have intentionally leaked it to prevent the talks from being.”

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