Washington’s ambitious plan to denuclearise North Korea hangs on a big if
John Bolton says it can be done in a year — but that depends on full co-operation from Pyongyang, which has not yet actually committed to full dismantlement
Seoul/Washington — White House national security adviser John Bolton believes the bulk of North Korea’s weapons programmes could be dismantled within a year. Bolton told CBS’s Face the Nation that Washington has devised a programme to dismantle North Korea’s weapons of mass destruction — chemical, biological and nuclear — and ballistic missile programmes in a year, if there is full co-operation and disclosure from Pyongyang. "If they have the strategic decision already made to do that and they’re co-operative, we can move very quickly," he said. "Physically we would be able to dismantle the overwhelming bulk of their programs within a year." He said Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will likely discuss that proposal with the North Koreans soon. The Financial Times reported that Pompeo was due to visit North Korea this week but the State Department has not confirmed any travel plans. South Korean media reported on Sunday that Sung Kim, the US ambassador to the Philippines, met with Nort...
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