Story highlights
- Pompeo said he's sure the North Korean people would love to see Kim go
- He said Kim's ouster wasn't an "unadulterated good" for the US
Washington (CNN)CIA
Director Mike Pompeo on Thursday evening offered some of the most
aggressive comments yet from the Trump administration with regard to
North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un.
Although Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has in the past said
the US was against forcing Kim out of power or the collapse of his
government, Pompeo said that the administration needed to find a way to
separate Kim from his growing nuclear stockpile.
"It
would be a great thing to denuclearize the peninsula, to get those
weapons off of that, but the thing that is most dangerous about it is
the character who holds the control over them today," Pompeo said in a
discussion moderated by conservative New York Times columnist Bret
Stephens at the Aspen Security Forum.
He
continued, "So from the administration's perspective, the most
important thing we can do is separate those two. Right? Separate
capacity and someone who might well have intent and break those two
apart."
Pompeo said both the
intelligence community and the Department of Defense have been tasked
with drafting plans for what "ultimately needs to be achieved" with
regard to the North Korean nuclear threat.
When
asked if he meant he was advocating regime change, Pompeo denied that
was necessarily what he was talking about but seemed to suggest
advocating Kim's ouster. He said he believed the US could tackle "every
piece" of the North Korean threat.
"As
for the regime, I am hopeful we will find a way to separate that regime
from this system," Pompeo said. "The North Korean people I'm sure are
lovely people and would love to see him go."
During
the question and answer portion of the event, Pompeo clarified he did
not view Kim's ouster as an "unadulterated good" for the US, and
pointing to the unknown consequences, Pompeo asked, "What's behind door
number three?"
He went on to
clarify that this was not an immediate task underway "to make happen
tomorrow," and said the challenge was to convince other nations on the
issue.
Interrogation techniques
Pompeo's comments Thursday underscore the former conservative congressman's penchant for tough talk.
He
portrayed the CIA as an effective, aggressive component of an
administration that was grappling with and defeating enemies all over
the world. In response to questions about a range of adversaries and
policy issues, Pompeo largely didn't hold back -- criticizing the Iran
deal and even delving into the subject of torture as a means of
interrogation.
When asked about
moving beyond the Army Field Manual on the use of torture as part of
interrogations, Pompeo said he had not yet found a reason to do so and,
for now, the CIA under him would follow the law without seeking to
change it.
"I
haven't had anybody present me yet with a situation where I didn't feel
like the Army Field Manual was sufficient," Pompeo said.
He
pointed to his own confirmation testimony to say he would try to make a
case to go beyond existing policy if he thought he needed to.
"As
we're presented with situations or as we anticipate situations where
the Army Field Manual may not deliver against what America needs, you
can be sure I'll go back and advocate for it," Pompeo said.
And,
decades after the fall of the Soviet Union, Pompeo said he occasionally
had to catch himself from using Cold War terminology.
'It's complicated' with Russia
During
the campaign, President Donald Trump spoke about a desire to work with
Russia, and since he took office, many have watched to see if the two
nations would grow closer.
Sixth
months into the administration and just weeks after Trump and Russian
President Vladimir Putin's first face-to-face meeting, Pompeo offered a
mixed assessment when asked to describe the status of the two countries'
relationship.
"It's complicated," he said.
Trump
has said specifically he wants to work with Russia to defeat ISIS, but
Pompeo said there was little evidence thus far that Russia was an ally
in Syria or elsewhere, adding that Moscow has different goals in the
region than the US.
"They love a warm-water naval port, and they love to stick it to America," Pompeo said.
He
did, however, say he hoped the US would be able to find areas in which
it could work with the Russians, including in counterterrorism efforts.
As
for questions about Russia's role in the 2016 election, Pompeo said he
was certain Russia made attempts to affect the outcome, although he
seemed to characterize that as expected.
Asked
if Russia tried to influence the election, Pompeo responded: "Of
course, and the one before that, and the one before that. They've been
at this a hell of a long time."
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