Axios: Bolton sharply criticizes Trump's North Korea policy as failing
Washington (CNN)Former national security adviser John Bolton has issued his sharpest rebuke of the White House's approach to North Korea's nuclear ambitions in a new interview with Axios
published Sunday, asserting that "the idea that we are somehow exerting
maximum pressure on North Korea is just unfortunately not true."
His comments come as North Korea may be preparing to test engines and other components of its missile program, an administration official tells CNN.
Bolton
told Axios he does not think the White House "really means it" when
President Donald Trump pledges to halt the hermit nation from nuclear
weapon development or "it would be pursuing a different course."
"We're
now nearly three years into the administration with no visible progress
toward getting North Korea to make the strategic decision to stop
pursuing deliverable nuclear weapons," he told the news outlet.
Administration officials are monitoring satellite imagery
for signs that North Korea may soon conduct a new round of weapons
testing to deliver the "Christmas gift" that Pyongyang's officials have
promised the US if it doesn't ease up on sanctions.
Due
to North Korean measures to hide activities at multiple sites, the US
cannot be certain what North Korean leader Kim Jong Un may order to be
tested, one official said. One scenario suggests a test of a long-range
missile or launch of a satellite on a long-range booster.
"Time
is on the side of the proliferator," Bolton told Axios. "The more time
there is, the more time there is to develop, test and refine both the
nuclear component and the ballistic missile component of the program."
The Trump administration has been trying to negotiate
with North Korea to have it dismantle its nuclear program, which poses a
threat to US allies South Korea and Japan, and thousands of US troops
based in both countries.
Those
talks have been stalled -- even as Pyongyang has pursued technical
improvements to its program that increasingly could put the US within
range of its rockets.
Still, senior military commanders said Friday that the US is ready for "whatever" Pyongyang might do.
When
asked about recent comments and indicators from North Korea that
Pyongyang may be getting closer to a long-range missile test or some
other provocative act, Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley said that
the Pentagon does not "discuss any intelligence or indicators" on what
the US may be seeing in the way of preparations.
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