CIA chief in secret meeting with North Korean President

A secret meeting was staged between US. Secretary of State nominee and CIA Director Mike Pompeo with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to discuss a planned summit with President Donald Trump, reports say.

The meeting with Kim comes weeks after the US revealed that North Korea is ready to halt its nuclear proliferation program and it is a clear indication of Trump’s willingness to become the first serving U.S. president ever to meet a North Korean leader.

Trump said earlier on Tuesday the United States was engaged in direct talks at “extremely high levels” with North Korea to try to set up a summit between him and Kim.

He sowed some confusion by suggesting he had been speaking to Kim directly, but later clarified by saying: “Let’s leave it a little bit short of the highest level.”

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Spokeswoman Sarah Sanders added: “The president said the administration has had talks at the highest levels and added that they were not with him directly.”

Asked about Pompeo, she said: “The administration does not comment on the CIA director’s travel.”

According to US officials, North Korea’s government has reached out to say that leader Kim Jong Un is ready to discuss his nuclear weapons program with President Donald Trump.

The development has increased the likelihood and has created more confidence within Trump’s administration about the wisdom of holding a meeting with North Korea’s Kim over the matter.

 

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