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Obama’s Asia team caught off guard, partying when rocket launched
The Obama administration’s Asia team was caught so off guard by North Korea’s Dec. 11 rocket launch, several of them actually had to put down their drinks and suddenly leave a holiday party being held in honor of the Japanese emperor’s birthday.
Several top U.S. officials dealing with Asia and North Korea from the State Department, the Pentagon, and the National Security Council were relaxing Tuesday night at the Japanese ambassador’s Nebraska Avenue residence in Washington when the news came over their blackberries that North Korea had launched another Unha-3 rocket with a “satellite” attached, this time with much more success than a previous attempt in April.
Just minutes before the launch news became known, several officials were overheard remarking how nice it was that North Korea was apparently delaying the launch, giving U.S. North Korea watchers hope that their holiday festivities would not be interrupted.
“Nobody in the U.S. government thought this would happen when it did,” said one top Asia expert who attended the party. “A lot of the guys who do the Korea stuff both on the policy and intelligence side were at this thing. They were saying ‘We bought ourselves some time.’ People were hoping it didn’t happen before Christmas because they wanted to take time off.”



Maudie N Mandeville
December 14th, 2012
People were hoping it didn’t happen before Christmas because they wanted to take time off.”–Like they won’t be, anyway.
Anonymous
December 14th, 2012
“Nobody in the U.S. government thought this would happen when it did,”
A perennial problem with the U.S.Govorment…
ConMom
December 14th, 2012
[...] themselves after the Secret Service?: Obama’s Asia team caught off guard, partying when rocket launched Share this:TwitterFacebookLike this:LikeBe the first to like this. Tags: North Korea [...]
Pickled Liver
December 14th, 2012
The NEW foreign policy! Fugetaboutit ! After it happens we’ll make up some kind of story – meanwhile let’s party !
Obama’s Asia Team Busy Partying While North Korea Launched Rocket | Tony Johnson
December 14th, 2012
[...] MeShopping Forget the 3 AM phone call, this band of losers, liars and lazy golfers can’t even answer a 3 PM call. The Obama administration’s Asia team was caught so off guard by North Korea’s Dec. 11 rocket [...]