Pompeo backs away from denuclearization goal for North Korea

WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is distancing himself from a previously stated goal of getting North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons by the end of President Donald Trump's first term in January 2021.

Trump himself said last week that he doesn't want to get into a "time game" over how long it will take North Korea to denuclearize.

Pompeo, who's preparing for a trip to North Korea, says 2021 wasn't his goal. But that date was referred to in a Sept. 19 statement in his name on the outcome of summit between the leaders of South and North Korea.

Pompeo tells reporters that he'd just been restating a potential timeline that was discussed at that summit.