Despite President Donald Trump breathing fire off and on vis-à-vis North Korea, his Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says US diplomatic efforts to bring Pyongyang round will continue “until the first bomb drops”.
A fortnight after Trump publicly snubbed his efforts by tweeting that he is “wasting his time” with his diplomatic bid, Tillerson told CNN on Sunday that the diplomatic route indeed remains Trump’s preferred option in dealing with North Korea’s nuclear pursuit.
“The President has also made clear to me that he wants this solved diplomatically. He’s not seeking to go to war,” Tillerson said when asked about Trump’s tweets virtually disavowing diplomacy and asserting that the United States “will do what has to be done” with the reclusive Kim Jong Un regime.
Tillerson’s comments came on the eve of the latest US-South Korea military exercises off the Korean Peninsula. Although US maintains these drills are defensive in nature, North Korea has attacked them as “rehearsals for a US-led invasion” and warning that it could resort to “counteractions” against the “reckless moves”.
In his interview, Tillerson was emphatic that he maintains a close relationship with President Trump, despite the media reports to the contrary from time to time. But he refused to say categorically whether he called President Trump a “moron” after a “difficult and tense” Pentagon meeting on July 20, as reported by NBC News earlier this month.
“As I indicated earlier when I was asked about that, I’m not going to deal with that kind of petty stuff,” Tillerson said, adding: “I mean, this (Washington) is a town that seems to relish in gossip, rumour and innuendo. And they feed on it. They feed on it in a very destructive way. I don’t work that way and I don’t feel that way.”
When the CNN anchor kept pressing for a direct answer, Tillerson commented that he would not be playing this game, adding, “These are the games of Washington. These are the destructive games of this town. They’re not helpful to anyone. And so my position is: I’m not playing ... You want to make a game out of itIJ I’m not playing.”
The White House, meanwhile, released details of President Trump’s upcoming five-nation East Asian sojourn from November 3 to 14, which includes a visit to US ally South Korea, with meetings with President Moon Jae-in, and US and South Korean service members.
“The President will speak at the National Assembly, where he will celebrate the enduring alliance and friendship between the United States and the Republic of Korea, and call on the international community to join together in maximizing pressure on North Korea,” a White House statement said.
Trump will kick off the 12-day visit by travelling to Japan, followed by South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines. “The President’s travel will underscore his commitment to longstanding United States alliances and partnerships, and reaffirm United States leadership in promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific region,” the statement said.