imbecile

read this from The Philippine Star last july 26, 2006.

North Korean has defended its missile launches ahead of an Asian security forum expected to focus on them, describing US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice as a "political imbecile" for criticizing the tests.

The North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) accused Rice, who called North Korea a "completely irresponsible" and "dangerous" state for test-firing seven ballistic missiles on July 5, of distorting the facts.

However, the communist state also came in for criticism from a United Nations oficial who said the launches had prompted a cut-back in food aid.

Rice and her North Korean counterpart Paek Nam-sun are due to attend the ASEAN Reigional Forum in Kuala Lumpur Friday amid international tensions over the missile tests.

"Obviously, Rice made such an outcry in a bid to justify the US hostile policy to pressurize the DPRK (North Korea) with the ministerial meeting of the ASEAN Regional Forum at hand and draw regional countries into its pressure campaign," KCNA said in a commentary late monday.

"Her remarks are nothing but a sheer distortion of the reality which can convince no one."

The news agency said the North is under threat of attack from "the worst gangsters in the world" after the Bush administration listed it as part of an "axis of evil."

"It was none other than Rice who let loose a spate of such piffle over the launch of a few missiles as part of military training to cope with the US reckless moves for aggression and war," KCNA said.

"This cannot be construed otherwise than an outburst made by a political imbecile."
The North's test-firing of the seven missiles, which splashed down in the Sea of Japan (East Sea), earned a unaninous rebuke from the United Nations Security Council - one immediately rejected by Pyongyang.

The North also rejected Rice's claims that its tests had been reckless, saying it had "launched missiles only after airspace, land and waters of the sea had been confirmed to be completely safe."