Amid all the threats, however, some level of U.S.-North Korean diplomacy has survived. "Beyond that there will be no conversations with North Korea at this time," Sanders said. The measures include banning imports of North Korean coal, iron ore and textiles, and new limits on crucial oil and petroleum supplies. And back-channel diplomacy between senior U.S. and North Korean diplomats — primarily aimed at freeing detained Americans — hasn't helped repair any trust. The "good cop, bad cop" ploy is unlikely to work, said Evans Revere, a former State Department official who took part in unofficial talks in Switzerland with North Korean officials last month.

Source: ABC News October 03, 2017 07:46 UTC