Senior Policy Director Alexandra Bell spoke with The Huffington Post about Mike Pompeo’s refusal to blame North Korean leader Kim Jong-un for American student Otto Warmbier’s death, and U.S. Representative Tom Malinowski’s line of questioning in a hearing.
Alexandra Bell, a senior policy director at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, said Pompeo has long avoided laying any specific blame at Kim’s feet, instead painting the regime with a broad brush to preserve any diplomatic relations.
“That is not surprising given the (hopefully) ongoing negotiations with North Korea,” Bell wrote in an email. “That said, Rep. Malinowski has been very clear about his concerns over human rights in North Korea and in his assessment of who is to blame for the death of Otto Warmbier. His line of questioning should not have come as a surprise.” Read more