Guy Taylor
Articles by Guy Taylor
North Korea sends denuclearization diplomat to ‘re-education’ camp: Reports
A former top North Korean diplomat, who for decades played a pivotal role in Pyongyang's fraught relations with Washington, has been fired and sent away to a remote "re-education camp," according to South Korean media reports. Published January 30, 2019
Ryan Crocker: Donald Trump negotiating U.S. ‘surrender’ in Afghanistan
A former high-level U.S. diplomat who held key ambassador posts in the Clinton, Bush and Obama eras is slamming the Trump administration's handling of talks with the Taliban in Afghanistan, saying they've "delegitimized" the Afghan government and amount to a U.S. "surrender." Published January 30, 2019
Dan Coats, Gina Haspel, Chris Wray ‘threat assessment’ refutes Trump claims
North Korea is "unlikely to give up all of its nuclear weapons and production capabilities," the Islamic State "still commands thousands of fighters," Iran is abiding so far by the 2015 nuclear deal, and Russia is bent on "dividing Western political and security institutions." Published January 29, 2019
Stephen Biegun preps North Korea economic package to reward Kim Jong-un denuclearization
The Trump administration is quietly preparing a special "economic package" designed to entice North Korean leader Kim Jong-un into taking specific steps toward dismantling his nuclear weapons program when he and President Trump meet for their highly anticipated second summit. Published January 28, 2019
Signs of progress in U.S. talks with Taliban; cease-fire discussed
Talks between a top U.S. diplomat and the Taliban have carried on for consecutive days in Qatar, signaling new life in what had been a stalled Trump administration push to energize a peace process with the militant group that U.S.-led forces have been at war with for nearly two decades in Afghanistan. Published January 24, 2019
Mike Pompeo: Trump admin not backing down on Venezuela
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo signaled Thursday that the Trump administration has no plan of backing away from its push for the removal of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, even after Venezuela's armed forces declared loyalty to Mr. Maduro and Russia warned Washington not to intervene. Published January 24, 2019
Kim Jong-un praises ‘personal letter’ from Donald Trump
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un praised a "personal letter" he received from President Trump Wednesday, according to state media in Pyongyang, which sent out a positive message on the prospect of an upcoming second summit between the two leaders. Published January 24, 2019
Paul Whelan Russia arrest designed to divide Americans, ex-CIA official says
Russia's arrest of ex-Marine Paul Whelan on espionage charges is part of a larger Kremlin scheme to exacerbate partisan divisions in Washington, according to a former top CIA official in Moscow who says President Vladimir Putin likely hand-picked Mr. Whelan as a "pawn" in a much deeper Russian intelligence plot. Published January 23, 2019
White House: ‘All options on the table’ in Venezuela
The U.S. and nations across the hemisphere launched a stunning, coordinated rebuke Wednesday and declared that Venezuelan socialist President Nicolas Maduro is no longer his country's legitimate leader, with President Trump vowing that "all options are on the table" -- including military action -- to deal with the long-running crisis in Caracas. Published January 23, 2019
Trump recognizes Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido as legitimate president
President Trump announced Wednesday that his administration now recognizes Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido as the legitimate president of the South American nation, at a moment of uprising against standing Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro. Published January 23, 2019
North Korea has approximately 20 undeclared missile bases: Report
The North Korean military has as many as 20 secretive, undeclared missile bases peppered around the country's mountainous terrain, according to a report Monday that claims researchers recently discovered one of the bases focused exclusively on medium-range ballistic missile operations. Published January 21, 2019
Taliban attack kills more than 100 near Kabul: Reports
Taliban militants in carried out a brutal attack on an Afghan police training facility outside Kabul Monday, killing more than 100 members of Afghanistan's U.S.-backed security forces, according to local officials. Published January 21, 2019
Donald Trump, Kim Jong-un set for second nuclear summit
Trump administration and North Korean officials held their first "working level" talks on denuclearization over the weekend in Sweden, preparing for the second summit between President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un that U.S. officials say is slated by the end of February. Published January 20, 2019
Mike Pence stands by defeated ISIS assertion
Vice President Mike Pence on Sunday defended his assertion that the Islamic State has been "defeated" in Syria and said President Trump will stay the course in withdrawing all U.S. forces from the country, despite fallout over the deaths of four Americans there in a Wednesday attack claimed by the terrorist group. Published January 20, 2019
Bruce Klingner, ex-CIA official, warns Donald Trump: Don’t ‘get outplayed again’ by Kim Jong-un
Bruce Klingner, a former high-level CIA official in Korea, says there's been "no progress" on denuclearization since President Trump and Kim Jong-un held their historic Singapore summit last June, and warns Mr. Trump can't afford to "get outplayed again" as the two head toward a second meeting. Published January 20, 2019
Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin private talk likely known to intelligence
U.S. spy agencies may already have access to what President Trump discussed during his private meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki last year, according to intelligence community sources. Published January 17, 2019
North Korean visit could be prelude to second Kim Jong-un, Trump summit
North Korea's top nuclear negotiator is slated to arrive in Washington Thursday for meetings with the Trump administration, according to diplomatic sources, who say U.S. officials are hoping for a breakthrough in the stalled denuclearization process and a possible second summit between President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Published January 16, 2019
Pompeo slams Iran over satellite launch
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo sharply condemned Iran's firing of a satellite-carrying rocket into space Tuesday, claiming it was carried out in "flagrant" defiance of a United Nations Security Council resolution that calls on Iran to refrain from any activity relating to ballistic missiles. Published January 15, 2019
Top North Korean nuclear negotiator headed to Washington: Reports
The State Department would neither confirm nor deny South Korean media reports Tuesday that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will hold high-level talks with his North Korean counterpart in Washington later this week. Published January 15, 2019
Mike Pompeo’s Mideast trip a string of tricky geopolitical challenges
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo wrapped up an eight-nation Middle East tour Monday by defending Saudi Arabia as a key strategic partner in isolating Iran. Published January 14, 2019