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Saturday 12 auguSt 2017

Trump: APNewsBreak: Beyond the bluster,

North Korea ‘will regret it’ if acts against US ally US, North Korea in regular contact
By MAT PENNINGTON
Continued from Front exchanges and spoke on are a rehearsal for war. Associated Press
The compounding threats condition of anonymity. All the war talk in recent WASHINGTON (AP) — Beyond the bluster, the Trump
came in a week in which Still, Trump on Friday sought days has alarmed interna- administration has been quietly engaged in back
the longstanding tensions to project military strength. tional leaders. channel diplomacy with North Korea for several
between the U.S. and He also spoke of pursuing Russia’s foreign minister, months, addressing Americans imprisoned in the com-
the communist country more sanctions on North Sergey Lavrov, estimated munist country and deteriorating relations between
seemed to abruptly boil Korea. the risk of a military conflict the long-time foes, The Associated Press has learned.
over. New United Nations He tweeted: “Military solu- between the U.S. and North It had been known the two sides had discussions to
sanctions condemning the tions are now fully in place, Korea as “very high,” and secure the June release of an American university stu-
North’s rapidly developing locked and loaded, should said Moscow was deeply dent. But it wasn’t known until now that the contacts
nuclear program drew fresh North Korea act unwisely. concerned. have continued, or that they have broached matters
ire and threats from Pyong- Hopefully Kim Jong Un will “When you get close to other than U.S. detainees.
yang. Trump responded by find another path!” the point of a fight, the one People familiar with the contacts say the interac-
vowing to rain down “fire Trump later retweeted a who is stronger and wiser tions have done nothing thus far to quell tensions over
and fury” if challenged. posting from U.S. Pacific should be the first to step North Korea’s nuclear weapons and missile advances,
which are now fueling fears of military confrontation.
But they say the behind-the-scenes discussions could
still be a foundation for more serious negotiation, in-
cluding on North Korea’s nuclear weapons, should
President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim
Jong Un put aside the bellicose rhetoric of recent days
and endorse a dialogue.
Trump refused to discuss the diplomatic contacts.
“We don’t want to talk about progress, we don’t want
to talk about back channels,” Trump told reporters Fri-
day.
The diplomatic contacts are occurring regularly be-
tween Joseph Yun, the U.S. envoy for North Korea
policy, and Pak Song Il, a senior North Korean diplo-
mat at the country’s U.N. mission, according to U.S. of-
ficials and others briefed on the process. They weren’t
authorized to discuss the confidential exchanges and
spoke on condition of anonymity.
Officials call it the “New York channel.” Yun is the only
U.S. diplomat in contact with any North Korean coun-
terpart. The communications largely serve as a way
to exchange messages, allowing Washington and
Pyongyang to relay information.
President Donald Trump speaks as Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, U.S. Ambassador to the United Drowned out by the furor over Trump’s warning to
Nations Nikki Haley, and national security adviser H.R. McMaster listen at Trump National Golf North Korea of “fire and fury like the world has never
Club in Bedminster, N.J., Friday, Aug. 11, 2017. seen,” Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has expressed
(AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) a willingness to entertain negotiations. His condition:
Pyongyang stopping tests of missiles that can now po-
The North then threatened Command that showed back from the brink,” Lav- tentially reach the U.S. mainland.
to target Guam, a tiny U.S. B-1B Lancer bomber planes rov said Friday. Tillerson has even hinted at an ongoing back chan-
territory some 2,000 miles on Guam that “stand ready “I don’t see a military so- nel. “We have other means of communication open
from Pyongyang. to fulfill USFK’s #FightTonight lution and I don’t think it’s to them, to certainly hear from them if they have a
Trump offered reassurance mission if called upon to do called for,” said German desire to want to talk,” he said at an Asian security
to Guam. “I feel that they so.” Chancellor Angela Merkel. meeting in the Philippines this week.
will be very safe, believe Such declarations, how- She declined to say wheth- The interactions could point to a level of pragmatism
me,” Trump told reporters ever, are not necessarily er Germany would stand in the Trump administration’s approach to the North
Friday, with Secretary of indicators of a new, more with the U.S. in case of a Korean threat, despite the president’s dire warnings.
State Rex Tillerson and U.N. aggressive posture. “Fight military conflict with North On Friday, he tweeted: “Military solutions are now fully
Ambassador Nikki Haley at tonight” has long been the Korea and called on the in place, locked and loaded, should North Korea act
his side. motto of U.S. forces in South U.N. Security Council to unwisely.” But on Thursday, he said, “we’ll always con-
Tough talk aside, The As- Korea to show they are al- continue to address the is- sider negotiations,” even if they haven’t worked in the
sociated Press reported ways ready for combat on sue. “I think escalating the last quarter-century.
Friday that talks between the Korean Peninsula. rhetoric is the wrong an- The contacts suggest Pyongyang, too, may be open
senior U.S. and North Ko- U.S. officials insist there swer,” Merkel added. to a negotiation even as it talks of launching missiles
rean diplomats continue have been no new signifi- “Let her speak for Ger- near the U.S. territory of Guam. The North regularly
through a back channel cant movement of troops, many,” Trump said, when threatens nuclear strikes on the United States and its
previously used to negoti- ships, aircraft or other assets asked about the comment. allies.
ate the return of Americans to the region other than “Perhaps she is referring to The State Department and the White House declined
held in North Korea. The what has already been Germany. She’s certainly to comment on Yun’s diplomacy. A diplomat at North
talks have expanded to long planned for previously not referring to the United Korea’s U.N. mission only confirmed use of diplomatic
address the deterioration scheduled exercises. States, that I can tell you.” channel up to the release of U.S. college student Otto
of the relationship, accord- American and South Kore- Trump’s rhetoric stands in Warmbier two months ago.
ing to U.S. officials and oth- an officials said they would contrast to an ongoing Trump, in some ways, has been more flexible in his ap-
ers briefed on the process. move forward later this back channel for negotia- proach to North Korea than President Barack Obama.
They weren’t authorized month with the exercises, tions between the United
to discuss the confidential which North Korea claims States and North Korea.q Continued on page 27