Appearing on CNN on Friday morning, former Director of National Intelligence head James Clapper was relatively complimentary about the proposed talks between President Donald Trump and North Korean strongman Kim Jong-un, however cautioned it could easily be a disaster.
Speaking with host Chris Cuomo, Clapper claimed the proposed talks are an opportunity to a=warm relations between the two countries.
"I think this is a great opportunity here to profoundly change the seven decade-long paradigm on the peninsula of abject animosity," Clapper told the CNN host. "Now, that said, I get it about skepticism -- we have been through this movie before. I would counsel, for what it's worth, that the objectives for this meeting, be fairly modest."
"I would comment that I think one of the factors that affected this decision on Kim Jong-un's part was that they have reached a level of confidence in their nuclear capabilities so when they do sit down for negotiations they don't feel like they don't feel as though they are sycophants," he added.
Pressed on the downside of having a volatile Trump meeting with an equally volatile Kim.
"This is my concern," Clapper warned. "That we not chest beat here. Because if the sanctions have worked as the administration claims, there is jeopardy in causing a violent implosion of a North Korea which would have all kinds of negative implications.I think the danger here is we revert to, 'okay, we're just going to put the screws even more to North Korea.' Well, that could create another set of problems."
"Right, host Cuomo added. "And, look, let's be honest, if these were two different state actors, you would have a different analysis. Having Trump and Kim Jong-un, when both are known to be volatile, you don't know what they're going to say, you don't know who will try to be the big man in that room. That injects a risk of nuclear proportions."
Watch the video below via CNN:
