Page 4 - ARUBA TODAY

A4 U.S. NEWS
Saturday 6 OctOber 2018
Pompeo goes to North Korea

under pressure to show progress

WASHINGTON (AP) — Sec- "I think the North Koreans "There's no nuclear testing
retary of State Mike Pom- will try and save the actual and there's not testing of
peo headed off to North negotiations for when Kim rockets."
Korea on Friday under pres- meets with Trump." It is true that North Korea
sure to produce tangible Pompeo has refused to has suspended nuclear
progress at persuading the discuss the details of ne- and missile tests, freed
country to get rid of its nu- gotiations so far and has three American prisoners
clear weapons as President become testy when asked and dismantled parts of a
Donald Trump seeks a sec- for them — including on missile engine facility. It also
In this Oct. 2, 2018 photo, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo meets ond summit with leader Kim the U.S. position on North blew up tunnel entrances
Pakistani Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi Jong Un. Korea's demand for a de- at its nuclear test site in
at the State Department in Washington. Pompeo departed Wash- clared end to the Korean front of foreign journalists.
Associated Press
ington for a packed, three- War. Fighting ceased in But it has not taken any
day tour of East Asia that 1953 with an armistice that steps to halt nuclear weap-
will take him to Japan, has left the adversaries in a ons or missile development
North Korea and then South state of war. U.S. ally South and has yet to respond
Korea. He's also due to visit Korea views such a dec- to invitations to send of-
China, which will bring its laration as a possible quid ficials to Europe to meet
own set of challenges, as pro quo for North Korea's with Pompeo's new spe-
relations with Beijing slide agreeing to close its main cial envoy for North Korea,
over trade tensions and nuclear facility at Nyong- Stephen Biegun. Biegun
accusations of election in- byon. North Korea appears will accompany Pompeo
terference. reluctant to provide what to Pyongyang on Sunday,
But it's in Pyongyang on Washington really wants in along with veteran diplo-
Sunday where Pompeo return: a complete invento- mat Sung Kim, the U.S. am-
could face his toughest ry of its nuclear and ballistic bassador to the Philippines
diplomatic test. There's missile facilities that could who has led working-level
been little visible progress be used by international in- delegations with North Ko-
since Trump and Kim made spectors to verify they have reans, and Andrew Kim,
a vague agreement at been dismantled. North Ko- who heads a North Korea
their historic June summit in rea also wants to get relief group at the CIA.
Singapore on "denuclear- from sanctions, which the Their sole focus on North
ization," with the two sides U.S. has said should only Korea's nuclear threat,
deadlocked over seem- happen when it is verified though, leaves the admin-
ingly inflexible demands that the North has taken istration open to the very
about how to achieve it. concrete steps toward de- criticism it leveled at the
Pompeo's task has been nuclearization. Obama administration's
made harder by mixed Speaking on his plane Fri- negotiations with Iran over
messaging from within the day, Pompeo again de- its atomic program.
administration over a time- clined to talk specifics. Trump, Pompeo and na-
line for the North to aban- He said his mission was to tional security adviser John
don its nukes and Trump's "make sure that we un- Bolton have all defended
hyperbole about what's derstand what each side the withdrawal from the
he's achieved in his own is truly trying to achieve ... deal in part by saying it did
talks with Kim. At a politi- and how we can deliver not address any of Iran's
cal rally last weekend, the against the commitments other concerning activi-
president rhapsodized — that were made" in Singa- ties, such as support for ter-
perhaps a little tongue in pore. He said they would rorism. North Korea is also
cheek — about how the develop options, if not fi- categorized by the U.S. as
North Korean leader had nalize, the location and a state sponsor of terror-
sent him "beautiful letters" timing of a second Trump- ism, has an abysmal hu-
and "We fell in love." Kim summit. man rights record and is
Pompeo, who was On Wednesday, Pompeo allegedly involved in cyber
snubbed by Kim on his last distanced himself from theft from banks around
visit to Pyongyang in July, is a previously stated goal the world to raise funds
expected to meet him this of getting North Korea to for its sanctions-strapped
time, but experts say Kim abandon its nuclear weap- government. Those prob-
may feel that he can get ons by the end of Trump's lems are rarely mentioned
a better deal in a face-to- first term in January 2021. in the context of Pompeo's
face with Trump himself. Trump, who canceled discussions with Kim. Nor
"I'm not sure if we are go- Pompeo's first plan for a have they gotten attention
ing to get a whole lot of fourth trip to Pyongyang in lower-level contacts be-
progress other than details last month citing a lack of tween the two sides, which
of the next Trump-Kim sum- progress, said last week he have chiefly revolved
mit," said Sue Mi Terry, a for- didn't want to get into a around logistical issues re-
mer CIA analyst on Korea "time game." lated to meetings and the
and now a senior fellow "If it takes two years, three handover of remains of U.S.
at the Center for Strategic years or five months, it troops missing from the Ko-
and International Studies. doesn't matter," he said. rean War.q