Is Richardson being frozen out of diplomatic role?
Richardson has played an important role in U.S./North Korean relations for more than a decade. He twice helped secure North Korea’s release of American citizens, contributing to his nomination for a Nobel Peace Prize. But U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton didn’t choose Richardson as the Obama Administration’s envoy to North Korea. And last summer, former president Bill Clinton, rather than Richardson, was involved in securing the release of two American journalists held by North Korean authorities after crossing the border from China. Last year, Richardson hosted North Korean diplomats in Santa Fe, ostensibly to discuss renewable energy. He spent much of 2000 and 2001 studying U.S./North Korea diplomatic relations, and in 2003 the North Korean regime requested his involvement in nuclear arms talks. The Bush Administration asked Richardson to fly to North Korea for talks in 2005 and 2006. Richardson has a master’s degree in International Affairs from Tufts University.
