U.S. delays ICBM test until after 2018 Winter Olympics
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. has decided to delay a scheduled intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California in deference to the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, CBS News' David Martin reports.
Last month, President Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in agreed to halt their countries' joint military exercises during the upcoming Olympics, with both calling for a "safe and successful" 2018 Olympic Games.
Preparations by North Korea for a parade scheduled the day before the opening of the Games have not included any vehicles, indicating the regime might not display any missiles as a show of force, U.S. officials said.
South Korean and U.S. forces have regularly conducted joint drills, which North Korea refer to as "invasion rehearsals" as the regime has ramped up its threats of nuclear provocation.
A Trump administration official said both Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Vice President Mike Pence would be open to a meeting with North Korea on the sidelines of this month's Olympic games.
"A message was being sent," explained an administration official when discussing what Pence and Tillerson have said over the last 24 hours. "All it does is indicate that anything is possible."