President Trump refused Sunday to rule out military retaliation against North Korea over its latest — and most potent — nuclear test, saying only, …
President Trump refused Sunday to rule out military retaliation against North Korea over its latest — and most potent — nuclear test, saying only, “We’ ll see, ” when asked if the US would strike the rogue nation.
Hours later, the White House raised the specter of America’s own atomic arsenal, saying Trump had spoken with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe about their mutual enemy’s new provocation.
The president pledged to protect “our homeland, territories, and allies using the full range of diplomatic, conventional, and nuclear capabilities at our disposal.”
Defense Secretary James Mattis also warned North Korean tyrant Kim Jong-un to “take heed” of the United Nations Security Council’s unanimous opposition to his nuclear-weapons program.
“Any threat to the United States or its territories, including Guam, or our allies will be met with a massive military response, a response both effective and overwhelming, ” Mattis said.
His vow followed an emergency White House meeting at which Trump and Vice President Mike Pence were briefed on what Mattis called the “many military options” available to the commander-in-chief in the wake of the hermit kingdom’s first nuclear blast since his election.
“We are not looking to the total annihilation of a country, namely North Korea, but as I said, we have many options to do so, ” Mattis said.
Trump’s “We’ ll see” comment came in response to a reporter’s question as he left St. John’s Church near the White House on what he had proclaimed the National Day of Prayer for the Victims of Hurricane Harvey.
About 45 minutes later, he tweeted, “The United States is considering, in addition to other options, stopping all trade with any country doing business with North Korea.”
That alert appeared to be aimed at China, which has long been North Korea’s main economic partner and since the imposition of UN sanctions now accounts for more than 90 percent of all trade with the outlaw regime.
Earlier in the day, Trump tweeted that North Korea — which claimed to have successfully tested a hydrogen bomb — “has become a great threat and embarrassment to China, which is trying to help but with little success.”
The president also lashed out at South Korea, whose recently elected president, Moon Jae-in, has advocated negotiations with the North over its nuclear program, which poses an existential threat to the American ally.
“South Korea is finding, as I have told them, that their talk of appeasement with North Korea will not work, they only understand one thing!” Trump tweeted.
South Korea’s military later said it conducted a live-fire exercise simulating an attack on North Korea’s nuclear test site to “strongly warn” Pyongyang.
The drill involved F-15 fighter jets and the country’s land-based “Hyunmoo” ballistic missile which “accurately struck” a target in the sea off the country’s eastern coast, according to Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff.
North Korea conducted its latest nuclear test after state-run media released photos showing its baby-faced dictator visiting the country’s Nuclear Weapons Institute to witness “a signal turn in nuclear weaponization.”
In one photograph, Kim — who was surrounded by lackeys sporting his signature, shaved-sides hairstyle — is seen pointing to a silver, peanut-shaped object that was described as a hydrogen bomb designed to fit into the country’s new “Hwasong-14” intercontinental ballistic missile.
North Korea television broadcast a special bulletin to announce the test, and said Kim had attended a meeting of the ruling party’s executive committee and signed the go-ahead order.
The country’s most popular news anchor, Ri Chun Hee, wore a traditional pink and black dress and trembled with excitement during a rare appearance in which she hailed the test as a “perfect success.”
The event “marked a very significant occasion in attaining the final goal of completing the state nuclear force, ” Ri added.
The US Geological Survey detected a “possible explosion” at 12: 30 p.m.. local time that registered 6.3 on the Richter scale “near the site where North Korea has detonated nuclear explosions in the past.”
With Post Wire Services
