Two top intelligence chiefs appeared wary Tuesday about North Korea’s apparent willingness to engage in talks related to its nuclear program and to halt weapons testing while doing so.
“I’m quite skeptical about all of this,” Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats told lawmakers on the Senate Armed Services Committee. “All efforts in the past have failed, and have simply bought North Korea time to achieve what they want to achieve.”
Coats noted that Kim Jong-un has repeatedly said that he sees nuclear weapons as “essential to his well being, as well as the well being of his nation.”
“Maybe this is a breakthrough,” he said.” I seriously doubt it. But like I said, hope springs eternal.”
Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency Lt. Gen. Robert Ashley also doubted that Kim is ready to “make a hard right turn” and genuinely talk denuclearization.
“I’ve seen nothing to tell me that there’s sincerity in the talks that are about ready to kickoff,” he said. “But, the possibility is there.”
Asked whether President Donald Trump should dismiss the effort or follow up, Ashley advised, “follow-up with caution.”
After returning from a two-day visit to the North Tuesday, South Korean officials said that Kim is open to talks with the U.S. about its nuclear program, and to holding off on weapons testing while those talks are ongoing. Kim and South Korean president Moon Jae-in will also hold a summit meeting next month, the South said.
“The North Korean side clearly stated its willingness to denuclearize,” said a statement by the South Korean president’s office. “It made it clear that it would have no reason to keep nuclear weapons if the military threat to the North was eliminated and its security guaranteed.”
South Korea’s recently elected president, Moon Jae-in, has vowed to increase dialogue with North Korea and discussed meeting with Kim Jong-un himself during his campaign.
DIA chief Ashley told lawmakers Tuesday that Kim does not appear interested in halting his weapons programs, despite layers of U.N. sanctions.
“Kim shows no interest in walking away from his nuclear or ballistic missile programs,” he said. “Additional missile launches are near certainty, and further nuclear tests are possible as pyongyang seeks to refine its weapons design and its reliability.”
CIA director Mike Pompeo has previously said that the agency sees Kim Jong-un as a rational actor who will not stop at a “single successful test.” He has repeatedly said that Pyongyang is a “handful of months” away from being able to deliver a nuclear attack to the territorial United States.
Some Trump administration officials have said that the U.S. will not negotiate with Pyongyang until it shows a commitment to denuclearization. The North has previously rejected the idea of talks with such preconditions.
“We have drawn a very clear line. North Korea has to agree to not possess nuclear capability, and until that happens, we cannot have an agreement with them,” Coats said Tuesday.
President Donald Trump said in a tweet Tuesday that “possible progress” had been made in the talks.
Possible progress being made in talks with North Korea. For the first time in many years, a serious effort is being made by all parties concerned. The World is watching and waiting! May be false hope, but the U.S. is ready to go hard in either direction!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 6, 2018
Vice president Mike Pence said in February that the U.S. is open to talks with the North, but that it will not stop its diplomatic and economic pressure campaign in the meantime. “The maximum pressure campaign is going to continue and intensify,” he told the Washington Post. “But if you want to talk, we’ll talk.”
