North Korea's Nuclear Progress Led Kim to Talks, Clapper Says
- Clapper says Kim’s regime doesn’t feel like a ‘supplicant’ now
- Ex-DNI chief says he backs Trump’s decision to attend summit
Clapper Says Kim Jong Un Will Be 'Unpredictable'
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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s decision to sit down with the U.S. was fueled by his regime’s view that it made significant achievements in its nuclear weapons program and would no longer be a “supplicant” in talks, former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said.
Clapper said it may not matter whether North Korea actually has the technology to launch an intercontinental ballistic missile with a nuclear warhead that can successfully hit a U.S. target. That’s less important to the regime than the psychological boost it received from demonstrating its prowess in testing ICBMs and more powerful nuclear bombs.