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Why the U.S. Must Trust but Verify with North Korea

Why the U.S. Must Trust but Verify with North Korea

PYONGYANG, NORTH KOREA - APRIL 03: A soldier stands guard on the aircraft park of the Pyongyang Airport on April 3, 2011 in Pyongyang, North Korea. Pyongyang is the capital city of North Korea and the population is about 2,500,000. (Photo by Feng Li/Getty Images)

As Secretary of State Mike Pompeo heads to North Korea seeking signs of progress after the recent Singapore summit,  some of his colleagues in the U.S. Intelligence community are doubting whether actions will meet up to words when it comes to North Korea's promise to denuclearize. 

Ambassador Joe DeTrani has just returned from South Korea, where he attended two conferences that addressed the issue and spent time with representatives from the U.S., China, Russia and Japan, while meeting with South Korean government and former government officials, and academics.  The focus was on developments with North Korea and the path ahead.  This is what he filed exclusively for The Cipher Brief:

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