Morell on NK: Threats With No Follow Through Are Harmful

The White House risks damaging any hope of diplomacy with North Korea by sending mixed messages — either on Twitter or in speeches, according to former acting and deputy CIA director Michael Morell.

In remarks to CBS News as part of its "Issues That Matter" series, Morell agreed the objective of Kim Jong Un's regime is to have the capability to put a U.S. city under risk of a nuclear strike — and to insulate itself from attack.

But when President Donald Trump issues threats without any follow-through, it's damaging to the already strained relations between Washington and Pyongyang — and any chances for diplomacy, Morell said.

"You've lost a tremendous amount of credibility and I think that the language in that respect is dangerous," Morell said.

In addition to using nuclear capability as a way to secure themselves from attack, Morell also said there's also a possibility North Korea wants to use them to become more dominant on the Korean Peninsula.

"Does he want these weapons to try to coerce the United States in South Korea?" Morell said. "So in other words, once he has them, will he be more aggressive on the Korean Peninsula?

"The question is how do you deter that, and that's more difficult," Morell said.

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