Pompeo backs away from denuclearization goal for N.Korea
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo distanced himself Wednesday from a previously stated goal of getting North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons by the end of President Donald Trump's first term in January 2021.
Trump himself said last week that he doesn't want to get into a "time game" over how long it will take North Korea to denuclearize.
Pompeo, who's preparing for a trip to North Korea, said 2021 wasn't his goal. But that date was referred to in a Sept. 19 statement in his name on the outcome of summit between the leaders of South and North Korea.
Pompeo told reporters that he had just been restating a potential timeline that was discussed at that summit.
