Mike Pompeo: The NK summit is still a go, and VP Pence threatens Kim Jong Un with 'the Libyan model'

Over the course of the last two weeks, the media has been rife with “will they, won’t they” stories about the forthcoming meeting between President Donald Trump and North Korean Bowl Cut enthusiast Kim Jong Un. One minute it’s all set to occur as planned, the next we’re told ‘anonymous sources’ say it’s all been cancelled, and then it back on again.

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The whole scenario was pretty shaky to begin with, so no one really knows what to think. Now, however, we have something a little more concrete. According to newly-minted Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, yes, the summit is still a go.

Sec. of State Mike Pompeo says U.S-North Korea summit is still set for June 12: "Our posture will not change until we see credible steps taken towards the complete, verifiable denuclearization of the Korean peninsula." https://t.co/FfkU7QhmZf pic.twitter.com/idTDtanwJY

— ABC News (@ABC) May 23, 2018

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Meanwhile, Mike Pence decided to drop a truth bomb on Kim Jong Un. The North Korean dictator had better cut an honest deal, or he’s going to be facing “the Libyan model.” From CNN.

US Vice President Mike Pence warned North Korea that it could end up like Libya if it fails to make a nuclear deal with Washington. “There was some talk about the Libyan model last week, and you know, as the President made clear, this will only end like the Libyan model ended if Kim Jong Un doesn’t make a deal,” Pence said Monday. When it was noted that the comparison could be interpreted as a threat, Pence told Fox News: “Well, I think it’s more of a fact.”

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A lot of conservatives who heard that were quick to react positively. There’s quite a bit of “It’s nice to hear from an administration that isn’t coddling dictators” over on Twitter. …But I’m not so sure that’s the greatest take. The fact is, “the Libyan model” wasn’t so hot. Moammar Gadhafi agreed to abandon his nuclear dream in the early 2000’s. So far, so good. The problem came later, when Barack Obama launched an illegal war against Libya, failed – spectacularly – to prepare for the post-Gadhafi era, and ended up creating a Mid-East nightmare we still haven’t managed to clean up. I understand that Pence is trying to apply pressure, and I’m all for that, but a threat that basically says “hey, give us what we want and, in a few years, we’ll attack, you’ll be deposed, and you’ll end up dead” may not be the sharpest strategy…

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