Jennifer, next time North Korea is condemned by the UN it may take three resolutions.  There was this equally interesting exchange today at the State Department, beginning with a reporter asking spokesman Robert Wood for a response to the North Korean announcements after the UN statement:

MR. WOOD: Well, Matt, let me just say I know you all have a lot of questions about North Korea. I don’t have very much at all today that I’m going to give you. And I know you’re going to come at me with a lot of questions from various angles, but I just want to basically refer you back to the UN Security Council presidential statement that was issued. And this presidential statement made very clear the position of the UN Security Council plus Japan. And as you know, the statement calls for an early resumption of the Six-Party Talks, a verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, and full implementation of the joint statement of 2005. I don’t have much more for you right now. At some later point, we’ll have more to say, but right now, that’s all I have.

QUESTION: In other words, you have no response?

MR. WOOD: As I said, I’ve given you right now what I have for you.

QUESTION: Well, that’s great. But, Robert, but that’s from – that’s from yesterday.

MR. WOOD: Yeah.

QUESTION: Well, things have happened on the ground today.

MR. WOOD: Oh, I understand.

QUESTION: Presumably, the United States is aware of them.

MR. WOOD: Look, we’re certainly aware of what’s going on. But what I’m saying is the statement that was issued by the Security Council in Japan spoke for the international community. It was very clear what our position is with regard to the type of behavior the North has been engaged in. There’s really nothing more to add to it.

It goes on in this vein for quite a while.  It is not only the White House press pool that is beginning to notice a certain inadequacy in our diplomacy.