While in China, Tillerson had told reporters that he was "probing" whether the North is ready for talks on the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.State Department officials insist Trump was not criticizing Tillerson, but pressuring Kim Jong-Uns regime to agree to discuss its disarmament while a diplomatic option remains on the table."This revelation appears to have triggered Trumps tweeted response -- which in turn sparked fresh rumors of tensions between the president and his top diplomat.""When the Secretary says "probing, he means: were keeping our eyes open to see how sanctions, to see how the pressure campaign is affecting that government," a State Department source said privately.Washington: Pentagon chief Jim Mattis tried to clear up doubts about the US administrations North Korea strategy Tuesday, backing Secretary of State Rex Tillersons effort to find a diplomatic solution to the nuclear standoff."

Tillerson has explained the strategy as one of using United Nations and US sanctions and diplomatic pressure to convince Kim of his isolation and force him to negotiate nuclear disarmament. Were not in a dark situation, a blackout.US officials insist publicly that they have military options to counter the threat from Pyongyang if this fails, but admit privately that these are limited and highly risky.- Little Rocket Man -So it was hard to square Tillersons diplomatic push with the Trump tweets that greeted him Sunday as he flew back from meeting Chinese leader China latex for gas migration control Factory in Beijing.."Being nice to Rocket Man hasnt worked in 25 years, why would it work now? Clinton failed, Bush failed, and Obama failed.But Trump appears to have been referring to previous US efforts to deal with the North Korean dictators father and grandfather..Defense Secretary Mattis was speaking two days after President Donald Trump appeared to undermine his top diplomat by saying Tillerson was "wasting his time" by maintaining contacts with Kim Jong-Uns regime. So I dont see the divergence as strongly as some have interpreted it. is focused on the destabilizing threat posed by North Korea and Kim Jong-Uns relentless pursuit of nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities," he said. We do talk to them..Mattis, in testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee, said the Pentagon stands four square behind the strategy -- and singled out Tillerson for support.."All we are doing is probing, we are not talking with them ."President Trumps guidance to both Secretary Tillerson and me has been very clearly that we would pursue the diplomatic efforts," he told lawmakers."Mattis, however, was at pains to insist that the government is working together as one to counter its most urgent threat."Kim is 33 years old and came to office in 2011. We can talk to them.."We have lines of communications to Pyongyang."

The international community. But now is not the time to do so; they are doing too many horrible activities," added State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert."The Defense Department supports fully Secretary Tillersons efforts to find a diplomatic solution but remains focused on defense of the United States and our allies."In fact this is part of a whole-of-government, integrated effort that we have under way right now," Mattis said.Mattis noted that Trump had sent Tillerson to Beijing to work with Chinese leaders to strengthen the common diplomatic response to the crisis."Save your energy Rex, well do what has to be done!" he added, apparently suggesting that some kind of non-diplomatic option was back on the table."Still, dialogue appears distant, on the State Departments end. We have a couple, three channels open to Pyongyang."At some point, of course, we would like to sit down and talk with North Korea.Critics seized upon the remarks to paint Tillerson as an outsider, scorned by Trump and unable to speak for the United States -- most scathingly in a harsh Washington Post op-ed entitled: "Donald Trumps dog. I wont fail."So stay tuned," he added. "And thats what Secretary Tillerson was carrying forward for the president."I told Rex Tillerson, our wonderful Secretary of State, that he is wasting his time trying to negotiate with Little Rocket Man," Trump wrote, using his dismissive nickname for Kim.

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