U.S. prepared to use force on North Korea 'if we must' - U.N. envoy

[webfact]

U.S. prepared to use force on North Korea 'if we must' - U.N. envoy

By Michelle Nichols

 

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley says, "If we act together we can still prevent a catastrophe and we can rid the world of a grave threat," in response to Pyongyang's recent intercontinental ballistic missile launch.

 

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United States cautioned on Wednesday it was ready to use force if need be to stop North Korea's nuclear missile program but said it preferred global diplomatic action against Pyongyang for defying world powers by test launching a ballistic missile that could hit Alaska.

 

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley told a meeting of the U.N. Security Council that North Korea's actions were "quickly closing off the possibility of a diplomatic solution" and the United States was prepared to defend itself and its allies.

 

"One of our capabilities lies with our considerable military forces. We will use them if we must, but we prefer not to have to go in that direction," Haley said. She urged China, North Korea's only major ally, to do more to rein in Pyongyang.

 

Taking a major step in its missile programme, North Korea on Tuesday test launched an intercontinental ballistic missile that some experts believe has the range to reach the U.S. states of Alaska and Hawaii and perhaps the U.S. Pacific Northwest.

 

North Korea says the missile could carry a large nuclear warhead.

 

The missile test is a direct challenge to U.S. President Donald Trump, who has vowed to prevent North Korea from being able to hit the United States with a nuclear missile.

 

He has frequently urged China to press the isolated country's leadership to give up its nuclear programme.

 

Haley said the United States would propose new U.N. sanctions on North Korea in coming days and warned that if Russia and China did not support the move, then “we will go our own path.”

 

She did not give details on what sanctions would be proposed, but outlined possible options.

 

"The international community can cut off the major sources of hard currency to the North Korean regime. We can restrict the flow of oil to their military and their weapons programs. We can increase air and maritime restrictions. We can hold senior regime officials accountable," Haley said.

 

Diplomats say Beijing has not been fully enforcing existing international sanctions on its neighbour and has resisted tougher measures, such as an oil embargo, bans on the North Korean airline and guest workers, and measures against Chinese banks and other firms doing business with the North.

 

“Much of the burden of enforcing U.N. sanctions rests with China,” Haley said.

 

The United States might seek to take unilateral action and sanction more Chinese companies that do business with North Korea, especially banks, U.S. officials have said.

 

China's U.N. ambassador, Liu Jieyi, told the Security Council meeting that the missile launch was a "flagrant violation" of U.N. resolutions and "unacceptable."

 

"We call on all the parties concerned to exercise restraint, avoid provocative actions and belligerent rhetoric, demonstrate the will for unconditional dialogue and work actively together to defuse the tension," Liu said.

 

Interactive package on North Korea's missile capabilities - http://tmsnrt.rs/2t0oSv7

 

TENSIONS WITH U.S.

 

The United States has remained technically at war with North Korea since the 1950-53 Korean conflict ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty and the past six decades have been punctuated by periodic rises in antagonism and rhetoric that have always stopped short of a resumption of active hostilities.

 

Tensions have risen sharply after North Korea conducted two nuclear weapons tests last year and carried out a steady stream of ballistic missile tests.

 

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said the ICBM test completed his country's strategic weapons capability that includes atomic and hydrogen bombs, the state KCNA news agency said.

 

Pyongyang will not negotiate with the United States to give up those weapons until Washington abandons its hostile policy against the North, KCNA quoted Kim as saying.

 

"He, with a broad smile on his face, told officials, scientists and technicians that the U.S. would be displeased ... as it was given a 'package of gifts' on its 'Independence Day,'" KCNA said, referring to the missile launch on July 4.

 

Trump and other leaders from the Group of 20 nations meeting in Germany this week are due to discuss steps to rein in North Korea's weapons programme, which it has pursued in defiance of Security Council sanctions.

 

Russia's deputy U.N. envoy said on Wednesday that military force should not be considered against North Korea and called for a halt to the deployment of a U.S. missile defence system in South Korea.

 

He also said that attempts to strangle North Korea economically were "unacceptable" and that sanctions would not resolve the issue.

 

The U.S. military assured Americans that it was capable of defending the United States against a North Korean ICBM.

 

Pentagon spokesman Navy Captain Jeff Davis noted a successful test last month in which a U.S.-based missile interceptor knocked down a simulated incoming North Korean ICBM.

 

"So we do have confidence in our ability to defend against the limited threat, the nascent threat that is there," he told reporters. He acknowledged though that previous U.S. missile defence tests had shown "mixed results."

 

The North Korean launch this week was both earlier and "far more successful than expected," said U.S.-based missile expert John Schilling, a contributor to Washington-based North Korea monitoring project 38 North.

 

It would now probably only be a year or two before a North Korean ICBM achieved "minimal operational capability," he added.

Schilling said the U.S. national missile defence system was "only minimally operational" and would take more than two years to upgrade to provide more reliable defence.

 

Map locating the missile test on July 4

 

 

(Additional reporting by Lesley Wroughton, Phil Stewart and David Brunnstrom in Washington; Writing by Alistair Bell; Editing by James Dalgleish and Peter Cooney)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-07-06

[F4UCorsair]

Somebody's going to have to do it, although I think at this stage it may be more bs from NK.

 

I noted on the news that in spite of China undertaking to impose sanctions on North Korea, trade between the two countries has increased 40% in the past year.   

 

Trump said that the US hadn't confidently expected cooperation from China, but had to try.  Very diplomatic, instead of calling China a useless, uncooperative bunch of *****, which it appears they are.

 

The UN is now talking about greater sanctions, but all that does is hurt the people, and I think strikes on all missile sites is becoming almost inevitable.  With the surveillance available from satellites, etc., he west must know the locations.

[tonray]

23 minutes ago, F4UCorsair said:

Somebody's going to have to do it, although I think at this stage it may be more bs from NK.

 

I noted on the news that in spite of China undertaking to impose sanctions on North Korea, trade between the two countries has increased 40% in the past year.   

 

Trump said that the US hadn't confidently expected cooperation from China, but had to try.  Very diplomatic, instead of calling China a useless, uncooperative bunch of *****, which it appears they are.

 

The UN is now talking about greater sanctions, but all that does is hurt the people, and I think strikes on all missile sites is becoming almost inevitable.  With the surveillance available from satellites, etc., he west must know the locations.

Yeah...that will work. 

[sirineou]

Pick pocket artists work in pairs, one bumps in to you and while you re busy reacting to them , the other picks your pocket.

While the US is busy with NC, The Chinese are expanding their influence in the Pacific and around the world.

 Why would they do anything to change that?

[tonray]

13 minutes ago, sirineou said:

Pick pocket artists work in pairs, one bumps in to you and while you re busy reacting to them , the other picks your pocket.

While the US is busy with NC, The Chinese are expanding their influence in the Pacific and around the world.

 Why would they do anything to change that?

North Carolina is threatening us too ?

[Kiwiken]

Talk Talk Talk nothing will change , nothing will happen. The days of gunboat diplomacy are over. Only face to face can they even hope to achieve a realistic settlement

[steven100]

the US is gonna blast north korea and kill them all.

[sirineou]

25 minutes ago, tonray said:

North Carolina is threatening us too ?

You mean North Karolina LOL

[SOTIRIOS]

Welcome to pathetic humanity...

 

World: a Bully Club....

 

A few can invade, assassinate, obliterate....and even create terrorist organizations to justify their actions....

 

...then plead 'morality' and 'democracy'.....and 'security threats'.....

 

....all the while arming anyone with funds.....

 

...add a fake space program that keeps half the population of the world starving....

 

...want an analogy of Syria and Iraq....etc....???

 

....someone breaks into your house....and decides to live in your living room....

 

....any slight move or look by you...in your own house....the invader has the right to bash your face in or kill you and your whole family...

 

...plead 'self-defense'....and take all your possessions....

 

.....if that is not utter insanity...what is.....

 

 

[Emster23]

North Korea wants guarantees there won't be regime change. They don't want to attack USA, Japan or S Korea. It would be "game over" if they did so.

 This is similar to build up before US attacked Iraq. Saddam wasn't going to attack USA either.... that didn't work out so well, did it?

[darksidedog]

34 minutes ago, steven100 said:

the US is gonna blast north korea and kill them all.

Laying waste to an entire country simultaneously just isn't possible. The problem with a strike on North Korea is that South Korea will get absolutely pummeled too. A military strike really is the absolute last resort in this situation and everyone including Kim Jong Un knows it.

[tonray]

4 minutes ago, darksidedog said:

Laying waste to an entire country simultaneously just isn't possible. The problem with a strike on North Korea is that South Korea will get absolutely pummeled too. A military strike really is the absolute last resort in this situation and everyone including Kim Jong Un knows it.

But Trump is a blustering/blubbering idiot when it comes to world affairs and I really don't think he understands or even cares about other consequences. He just wants to throw some red meat to the war mongers in the room and get his approval ratings higher, the Syrian missiles showed him that he can get a bump by being strong but he is in way, way over his head here.

[Dustdevil]

We don't expect military hostilities. For purely academic discussion, the US aircraft carriers are useful tactically, but the real power lies in the Trident subs. You can be sure there are one or two lurking very silently near N. Korea and China. Tridents carry 192 nuclear warheads atop 24 missiles. The warheads range from 100 kilotons to 495. (Hiroshima's was 14 kilotons). Two missiles with 16 individually targetable warheads could wipe N. Korea off the map in about 5 minutes. The rest could be saved for China in case they go nuts. And that's just one submarine. Surely Fatboy knows this; therefore he would never send his paltry ICBM fleet to destroy LA and San Francisco. I believe his ICBMs are strictly for deterrence and thus overhyped.

[jerojero]

We don't expect military hostilities. For purely academic discussion, the US aircraft carriers are useful tactically, but the real power lies in the Trident subs. You can be sure there are one or two lurking very silently near N. Korea and China. Tridents carry 192 nuclear warheads atop 24 missiles. The warheads range from 100 kilotons to 495. (Hiroshima's was 14 kilotons). Two missiles with 16 individually targetable warheads could wipe N. Korea off the map in about 5 minutes. The rest could be saved for China in case they go nuts. And that's just one submarine. Surely Fatboy knows this; therefore he would never send his paltry ICBM fleet to destroy LA and San Francisco. I believe his ICBMs are strictly for deterrence and thus overhyped.

Fat boy may make illogical decisions such as attacking South Korea or Japan. Trump will initiate an attack or respond to one. Both are itching to unleash their military to prove their manhoods. Both huge egos. And then the world will enjoy a nuclear holocaust. Wonderful.

 

[jerojero]

the US is gonna blast north korea and kill them all.

Like they blasted Iraq? Think North Korea will not retaliate? Goodbye Seoul, as Trump activates nuclear weapons from 5000 miles away.

[janclaes47]

6 minutes ago, jerojero said:

Fat boy may make illogical decisions such as attacking South Korea or Japan. Trump will initiate an attack or respond to one. Both are itching to unleash their military to prove their manhoods. Both huge egos. And then the world will enjoy a nuclear holocaust. Wonderful.

 

For years keyboard warriors people are posting on this forum that N.Korea should be wiped of the world map.

 

Now that Trump talks the lingo they are attacking him, simply because everything Trump says MUST be bad.

[Lemonltr]

Sanctions haven't worked and probably won't. What might work would be if China said that it would accept any North Korean as an asylum seeker to be processed to go to an accepting country. Then watch the huge exodus.

Of course this is fantasy and  will never happen. China likes to have a dictatorship as buffer.

[retarius]

This "pre-emptive strike doctrine" is an insanity. It has been used as an excuse by the US for initiating tens of wars, in each case where the US is not threatened. The US has become a country a nation of warmongers addicted to war.

[farcanell]

1 hour ago, retarius said:

This "pre-emptive strike doctrine" is an insanity. It has been used as an excuse by the US for initiating tens of wars, in each case where the US is not threatened. The US has become a country a nation of warmongers addicted to war.

Which wars?

[Tchooptip]

 Kim Jong Un is threatening the USA, if it is a game for its people OK,  but  threatening directly to nuke Alaska is suicidal, is he and all his generals so stupid? 

Edited July 6, 2017 by Tchooptip

[ilostmypassword]

2 hours ago, janclaes47 said:

For years keyboard warriors people are posting on this forum that N.Korea should be wiped of the world map.

 

Now that Trump talks the lingo they are attacking him, simply because everything Trump says MUST be bad.

Really, the people who supported Obama advocated wiping North Korea off the world map? Such nonsense. Actually, I've noticed a lot of Trump supporters on this forum who predictions would have meant that by now North Korea would have been wiped off the map.  Still waiting?

[janclaes47]

3 minutes ago, ilostmypassword said:

Really, the people who supported Obama advocated wiping North Korea off the world map? Such nonsense. Actually, I've noticed a lot of Trump supporters on this forum who predictions would have meant that by now North Korea would have been wiped off the map.  Still waiting?

 

Did I mention the name Obama or is that just your blinding hate for Trump that makes you see those words?

 

Anyway, since I mentioned for years, it is obvious that people were making these post long before Trump even entered the presidential elections.

 

 

 

Edited July 6, 2017 by janclaes47

[maewang99]

Blue money and blue aircraft carriers.... just a keyboard tap needed to make the money..... and the aircraft carriers... in today's world it is. 

we take a North American plebiscite... to revoke our Security Council veto. the other members in New York would give up theirs in..... a New York minute.

and then... an easy yet almost infinite amount of conjured up money... and money is what everything is about.

 

a dream.... but so was an outsider POTUS for a long long time...... eh? and only the Reserve Currency country du jour... can do this. while it still is, for now. that's why it won't be just a dream forever, ya know?

but I'm ready now. to vote to give it up.

 

the system we have now..... sucks.



 

Edited July 6, 2017 by maewang99

[Rancid]

Pretty much since WW2 the US has attacked countries with minimal militaries, and perhaps aside from Grenada most of them haven't either gone that well or they've eventually had enough and left.

 

So...can't really see attacking N Korea going to be a walk in the park, no doubt they can inflict massive destruction, however wont S Korea likely be largely obliterated as well?

 

Not sure, but there is  a train of thought that says N Korea just extremely paranoid about the US attacking them, which is why they want the nukes, perhaps finally having an official truce from the Korean war and mutual arms reduction would help?

[Baerboxer]

4 hours ago, Emster23 said:

North Korea wants guarantees there won't be regime change. They don't want to attack USA, Japan or S Korea. It would be "game over" if they did so.

 This is similar to build up before US attacked Iraq. Saddam wasn't going to attack USA either.... that didn't work out so well, did it?

 

Certainly not for Saddam - became a swinger!

[digger70]

This is Sooo Stupid,Leave NK alone They are not going to pick a Fight.What's the problem anyway USA got Nukes.Nk Got Nukes.They are now on the same Playing level so to speak,only the USA may have a few more Nukes Hidden.The USA want's to be The Big Uncle Sam,they don't like it when a other country stands up for itself (even without fighting).

[billd766]

4 hours ago, steven100 said:

the US is gonna blast north korea and kill them all.

 

Very good and very clever.

 

Do you think that N Korea will just sit there and let it happen.

 

N Korea has more men under arms than the entire US forces. At the first sign of an attack they will literally drive the the border straight down to Seoul orverrunning the 37,000 US troops stationed in S Korea and keep going.

 

Do you think that the USA will launch neclear weapons on N Korea without the NK forces firing back?

 

Do you think China will be happy with a war possibly going nuclear in their back garden.

 

I am sure that Donald Trump won't care at all as he will be quite safe, but what about the 50 million S Koreans or the 25 million N Koreans, let alone the people of Japan or any other country that Fat boy Kim wants to throw a nuclear weapon at?

 

Depending on the prevailing winds fallout may even spread across parts of China as well and there are a lot more Chinese that would be seriously p1ssed off.

 

The thing that scares me the most is the thought that Trump may even consider doing that.

 

If it gets that close to happening I would be praying to anybodys God who would listen, to strike Trump dead before he got near that football.

[doctormann]

 

The Doomsday Clock is ticking!

[billd766]

5 minutes ago, doctormann said:

 

The Doomsday Clock is ticking!

 

Very LOUDLY for those who wish to hear it.

 

There are also some world "leaders" who are profoundly deaf.

[ilostmypassword]

36 minutes ago, billd766 said:

 

Very good and very clever.

 

Do you think that N Korea will just sit there and let it happen.

 

N Korea has more men under arms than the entire US forces. At the first sign of an attack they will literally drive the the border straight down to Seoul orverrunning the 37,000 US troops stationed in S Korea and keep going.

 

Do you think that the USA will launch neclear weapons on N Korea without the NK forces firing back?

 

Do you think China will be happy with a war possibly going nuclear in their back garden.

 

I am sure that Donald Trump won't care at all as he will be quite safe, but what about the 50 million S Koreans or the 25 million N Koreans, let alone the people of Japan or any other country that Fat boy Kim wants to throw a nuclear weapon at?

 

Depending on the prevailing winds fallout may even spread across parts of China as well and there are a lot more Chinese that would be seriously p1ssed off.

 

The thing that scares me the most is the thought that Trump may even consider doing that.

 

If it gets that close to happening I would be praying to anybodys God who would listen, to strike Trump dead before he got near that football.

North Korea's army is not much of a threat. It's undertrained and underequpped. And their air force is a joke. South Korea's conventional forces would decimate them. Come to think of it, decimate means kill 1 out of 10. The actual slaughter rate would be far worse.

 

The North Koreans simply don't have the funds to properly equip a conventional army Which explains why they've invested in a nuclear force.  The atom bomb is a great equalizer.