Secretary of State Mike Pompeo heads to North Korea on Thursday under pressure to produce tangible signs of progress as US intelligence reports cast doubt on Kim Jong Un’s intention to dismantle his nuclear and missile programs.
„It should not happen a third time without Kim understanding that — while diplomacy might continue — there will be consequences in terms of a ratcheting up of the maximum pressure campaign, and certainly no prospect of another summit with President Trump,“ Hannah said about Pompeo’s upcoming trip.
While Pompeo has told CNN that he is not willing to lay out a timeline for talks, he noted that he wants to see continued progress showing Kim is serious about dismantling his nuclear program and that he plans to discuss next steps when the two meet this week.
A major question mark
But Kim’s sincerity when it comes to taking apart his nuclear and missile program remains a major question mark.
CNN reported this week that the Defense Intelligence Agency believes that Kim has no intention of engaging in a full denuclearization program, at least for now, according to an administration official familiar with the agency’s finding.
The Washington Post earlier reported on US intelligence officials‘ doubt that North Korea intends to fully surrender its nuclear stockpile and recent commercial satellite imagery has shown some continuing activity at various nuclear fuel and missile sites.
A senior State Department official told CNN they are not surprised at the reports, believing Pyongyang is playing hardball before negotiations start in earnest.
The same senior official told CNN that the North Koreans know that they need to produce evidence to prove their seriousness. An intelligence official told CNN last week that the administration plans to present the North Koreans with a detailed list of tasks they must undertake to begin a denuclearization process.
Nearly all the experienced officials at the State Department and the National Security Council working on the North Korea issue — including Pompeo himself — remain skeptical of Kim’s willingness to denuclearize given Pyongyang’s long history of misleading the US, officials familiar with the talks said.
