Must Read Trump warns 'fire and fury' if North Korea threatens U.S., Pyongyang weighs Guam strike

[webfact]

Trump warns 'fire and fury' if North Korea threatens U.S., Pyongyang weighs Guam strike

By James Oliphant and Ben Blanchard

 

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday North Korea "will be met with fire and fury like the world has never seen" if it threatened the United States again.

 

BEDMINSTER, N.J./BEIJING (Reuters) - President Donald Trump warned North Korea on Tuesday it would face "fire and fury" if it threatens the United States, prompting the nuclear-armed nation to say it was considering firing missiles at Guam, a U.S.-held Pacific island.

 

As tensions escalated, Pyongyang said it was "carefully examining" a plan to strike Guam, site of a U.S. military base. A North Korean military spokesman, in a statement carried by state-run KCNA news agency, said the plan would be put into practise once leader Kim Jong Un makes a decision.

 

In another statement citing a different military spokesman, North Korea said it could carry out a pre-emptive operation if there were signs of a U.S. provocation.

 

Washington has warned it is ready to use force if need be to stop North Korea's ballistic missile and nuclear programs but that it prefers global diplomatic action, including sanctions.

 

The consequences of any U.S. strike would potentially be catastrophic not only for North Koreans but also South Korea, Japan and the thousands of U.S. military personnel within range of any North Korean retaliatory strikes.

 

"North Korea best not make any more threats to the United States. They will be met with fire and fury like the world has never seen," Trump told reporters at the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey.

 

The U.N. Security Council unanimously imposed new sanctions on North Korea on Saturday over its continued missile tests, that could slash the reclusive country's $3 billion annual export revenue by a third.

 

North Korea has made no secret of plans to develop a nuclear-tipped missile able to strike the United States and has ignored international calls to halt its nuclear and missile programs.

 

It says its intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) are a legitimate means of defence against perceived U.S. hostility. It has long accused the United States and South Korea of escalating tensions by conducting military drills.

 

U.S. stocks closed slightly lower after Trump’s comment, while a widely followed measure of stock market anxiety ended at its highest in nearly a month. The U.S. dollar index pared gains and the safe-haven yen strengthened against the U.S. currency.

 

TENSIONS RISE

 

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. 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 since North Korea carried out two nuclear bomb tests last year and two ICBM tests last month.

Republican U.S. Senator John McCain said Trump should tread cautiously when issuing threats to North Korea unless he is prepared to act.

 

"I take exception to the president’s comments because you got to be sure you can do what you say you’re going to do,” he said in a radio interview.

 

The Trump administration's attempts to pressure North Korea into abandoning its nuclear and missile ambitions have so far gained little traction.

 

U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has warned of an "effective and overwhelming" response against North Korea if it chose to use nuclear weapons but has said any military solution would be "tragic on an unbelievable scale."

 

The United States has 28,500 troops in South Korea to guard against the North Korean threat. Japan hosts around 54,000 U.S. military personnel, the U.S. Department of Defense says, and tens of thousands of Americans work in both countries.

 

Seoul is home to a population of roughly 10 million, within range of massed pre-targeted North Korean rockets and artillery, which would be impossible to destroy in a first U.S. strike.

 

The Washington Post reported on Tuesday that North Korea has successfully produced a miniaturized nuclear warhead that can fit inside its missiles, according to a confidential U.S. intelligence assessment.

 

But U.S. intelligence officials told Reuters that while North Korea has accelerated its efforts to design an ICBM, a miniaturized nuclear warhead, and a nosecone robust enough to survive reentry through the Earth’s atmosphere, there is no reliable evidence it has mastered all three, much less tested and combined them into a weapon capable of hitting targets in the United States.

 

“There's a lot that we don't know," about the North Korean nuclear weapons programme, including whether Pyongyang has developed "the guidance and control system, guidance and stability control, to move a rocket that distance without it breaking up," U.S. Air Force General Paul Selva, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the Air Force Association's Mitchell Institute on Aug. 3.

 

U.S. intelligence officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, also said there is no certainty about the number of nuclear warheads North Korea has assembled, with estimates ranging from 20 to as many as 60 and most experts leaning towards the lower end of that range.

 

North Korea's ICBM tests last month suggested it was making technical progress, Japan's annual Defence White Paper warned.

 

WAR OF WORDS

 

On Monday, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson held the door open for dialogue, saying Washington was willing to talk to Pyongyang if it halted its missile test launches.

 

Still, he maintained the pressure, urging Thailand on Tuesday for more action against Pyongyang.

 

Former U.S. diplomat Douglas Paal, now with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace think tank in Washington, said Trump should not get into a war of words with Pyongyang.

 

“It strikes me as an amateurish reflection of a belief that we should give as we get rhetorically. That might be satisfying at one level, but it takes us down into the mud that we should let Pyongyang enjoy alone,” said Paal, who served as a White House official under previous Republican administrations.

 

Lockheed Martin Corp, the Pentagon's No. 1 weapons supplier, said on Tuesday its customers are increasingly asking about missile defence systems.

 

(Additional reporting by Kiyoshi Takenaka in Tokyo, Christine Kim in Seoul, Doina Chiacu, Susan Heavey, John Walcott and David Brunnstrom in Washington, Amy Sawitta Lefevre in Bangkok and Rodrigo Campos in New York; Writing by Yara Bayoumy, Alistair Bell and John Whitesides; Editing by Nick Macfie and James Dalgleish)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-08-09

 

[F4UCorsair]

The left wing loonies may now be happy that they have a strong, decisive leader who will, if necessary, take on this vertically challenged worm in North Korea.   Nah.....too much hate against the Republicans.

 

If the previous administration had balls, the situation would not have deteriorated to what we now see.

Edited August 8, 2017 by F4UCorsair

[steven100]

At least Trump has the balls to say and I believe act if necessary.

Good job ......  shut the NK leader up,   and blow them out of the water ...

 

it will also create alot of new jobs building new artillery.

[Jingthing]

trump does not have the confidence of the American people on this.

Quote

 

Poll: Americans uneasy about North Korea, doubt Trump's ability to handle situation

Washington (CNN)Most Americans say they feel "uneasy" about the possibility of conflict with North Korea, with only a third of those surveyed having confidence in President Donald Trump's ability to handle the situation, a CBS News poll released Tuesday shows.

Seventy-two percent of surveyed Americans say they feel uneasy, compared to just 26% of surveyed Americans who said they are "confident things will be resolved without conflict."

 

 

http://edition.cnn.com/2017/08/08/politics/north-korea-cbs-poll-donald-trump/index.html

[F4UCorsair]

Just now, Jingthing said:

trump does not have the confidence of the American people on this.

 

http://edition.cnn.com/2017/08/08/politics/north-korea-cbs-poll-donald-trump/index.html

So the idiot in NK strikes Guam, kills thousands....what next?   You're suggesting the President should sit on his hands and say, "Bad luck, can't do anything because I don't have the confidence of the American people on this issue?"

 

Please be serious if you want to participate in an adult conversation.

[webfact]

North Korea says seriously considering plan to strike Guam: KCNA

By Christine Kim and Soyoung Kim

 

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea said on Wednesday it is "carefully examining" plans for a missile strike on the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam, just hours after U.S. President Donald Trump told the North that any threat to the United States would be met with "fire and fury".

 

North Korea has made no secret of plans to develop a nuclear-tipped missile able to strike the United States and has ignored international calls to halt its nuclear and missile programmes.

 

The strike plan would be put into practice at any moment once leader Kim Jong Un makes a decision, a spokesman for the Korean People's Army (KPA) said in a statement carried by the North's state-run KCNA news agency.

 

"The KPA Strategic Force is now carefully examining the operational plan for making an enveloping fire at the areas around Guam with medium-to-long-range strategic ballistic rocket Hwasong-12 in order to contain the U.S. major military bases on Guam including the Anderson Air Force Base," the spokesman said.

 

The plan would be reported to the North's Supreme Command soon, the spokesman said, without citing a date.

 

On Monday, two US B-1 bombers flew from Guam over the Korean Peninsula as a part of its "continuous bomber presence," a U.S. official said, in a sign of the strategic importance Guam holds.

 

In another statement citing a different military spokesman, North Korea also accused the United States of devising a "preventive war" and said any plans to execute this would be met with an "all-out war wiping out all the strongholds of enemies, including the U.S. mainland."

 

The United States should stop its "reckless military provocation" against North Korea to avoid any military action, the army spokesman said.

 

The U.N. Security Council unanimously imposed new sanctions on North Korea on Saturday over its continued missile tests.

 

Trump ratcheted up the rhetoric against North Korea on Tuesday, saying Pyongyang should not make any more threats against the United States in a meeting with reporters at the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey.

 

(Reporting by Christine Kim and Soyoung Kim; Additional reporting by Idrees Ali in WASHINGTON; Editing by Lincoln Feast)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-08-09

[darksidedog]

38 minutes ago, webfact said:

 

"North Korea best not make any more threats to the United States. They will be met with fire and fury like the world has never seen," Trump told reporters

And North Korea promptly threatens to bomb Guam, so will there be fire and fury, or does N.K. see Donald's threats being as empty as the inside of his head?

[Dave67]

Best way to fight fire is with fire, especially if you are both raving lunatics

[ezzra]

If there's a crazy  person to kick fat boy in his guts, that'll be Trump,

he's loco enough to do it, beside, someone should muzzle this rouge

little runt and put him in his place once and for all.....

[canuckamuck]

NK's stance is going a long way to helping the US manufacture consent for war. Nk's strategy for security is to be a barking dog. This can work, if the dog is clearly staying behind it's fence. Once outside it's a new game entirely.

Regular Americans are tired of war, but those who profit from the weapon sales have a lot of influence, with trillions at stake. If consent occurs, North Korea will be set on fire.

[cornishcarlos]

Lockhead Martin are the ones who will benefit, if only briefly...

Everyone else will suffer..

We don't need any more wars !!

[Jingthing]

Kim Jong-un isn't crazy. He's following through on his tactics. Predictable. 

trump on the other hand, is crazy. 

It's no wonder the American people don't trust him in such a serious military crisis. 

 

No, I'm not saying that I know a good answer on how to deal with NK. There clearly isn't a good answer. Instead, a bunch of bad choices. But times like these, we need a NOT INSANE person in the oval office more than ever. 

Edited August 9, 2017 by Jingthing

[Briggsy]

2 buffoons both playing to the gallery simply to preserve power in their respective countries. It is important not to get sucked into the vortex and believe all the belligerent crap they are putting out. They are only doing it to whip up their supporters and get more of their citizens supporting them. The whole thing is theatre.

[habanero]

46 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

trump does not have the confidence of the American people on this.

 

http://edition.cnn.com/2017/08/08/politics/north-korea-cbs-poll-donald-trump/index.html

First of all, it is from CNN so I don't give it too much credence. 

What I read, is that people feel "uneasy".  Well, dah!  Who wouldn't?

 

[AGareth2]

Dracarys

[Somtamnication]

And so it begins.................

Now for the good part: severe unemployment in this region, crime will go up, no taxes from tourists so all foreign teachers will be laid off, zero tourism business locally. That is only for Thailand. 

 

China will go into Taiwan and Russian into the Balkans. 

 

What a world I am leaving my children. 

[Jingthing]

1 minute ago, Somtamnication said:

And so it begins.................

Now for the good part: severe unemployment in this region, crime will go up, no taxes from tourists so all foreign teachers will be laid off, zero tourism business locally. That is only for Thailand. 

 

China will go into Taiwan and Russian into the Balkans. 

 

What a world I am leaving my children. 

I don't know about your specific predictions but that we are now in very dangerous times in multiple global spots is without a doubt. There doesn't have to be a literal full blown new world war for there to be a massive upheaval. 

[soalbundy]

1 hour ago, steven100 said:

At least Trump has the balls to say and I believe act if necessary.

Good job ......  shut the NK leader up,   and blow them out of the water ...

 

it will also create alot of new jobs building new artillery.

No, by fire and fury he meant he was going to burn his iphone and throw it out of the pram

[brewsterbudgen]

So after Trump made his hyperbolic statement, Kim issues a direct threat against US bases in Guam. Will Trump be true to his word? I think and hope not.

[JCauto]

2 hours ago, F4UCorsair said:

The left wing loonies may now be happy that they have a strong, decisive leader who will, if necessary, take on this vertically challenged worm in North Korea.   Nah.....too much hate against the Republicans.

 

If the previous administration had balls, the situation would not have deteriorated to what we now see.

Uh, left wing loonies? You think the Left is happy to have Trump raving back at the other nut or was looking for a war with NK?

 

Just for the record so we understand your position, you believe that direct confrontation and escalation of the threat with hopefully a violent military conflict as the result is the correct way to deal with the little worm in NK ?

[tonray]

3 minutes ago, JCauto said:

Uh, left wing loonies? You think the Left is happy to have Trump raving back at the other nut or was looking for a war with NK?

 

Just for the record so we understand your position, you believe that direct confrontation and escalation of the threat with hopefully a violent military conflict as the result is the correct way to deal with the little worm in NK ?

It's funny...the Trump base wanted us to get out of foreign entanglements, cut ties and international agreements and focus on America. But now that they need a distraction from the sheer incompetency and plummeting poll numbers they are all in. Hypocrites.

 

Attacking NK will NOT get your coal mining jobs back, nor will it get you better health coverage, nor will it make America great again. Another war to make the Defense Industry more money and for Congressman to suck up to the taxpayer teat.

[JCauto]

4 minutes ago, tonray said:

It's funny...the Trump base wanted us to get out of foreign entanglements, cut ties and international agreements and focus on America. But now that they need a distraction from the sheer incompetency and plummeting poll numbers they are all in. Hypocrites.

 

Attacking NK will NOT get your coal mining jobs back, nor will it get you better health coverage, nor will it make America great again. Another war to make the Defense Industry more money and for Congressman to suck up to the taxpayer teat.

Exactly, this was sooooooooooo predictable. Anything to distract, people are becoming more attuned to the constant lies and attempts to change the focus.

[klauskunkel]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

But U.S. intelligence officials told Reuters that while North Korea has accelerated its efforts to design an ICBM, a miniaturized nuclear warhead, and a nosecone robust enough to survive reentry through the Earth’s atmosphere, there is no reliable evidence it has mastered all three, much less tested and combined them into a weapon capable of hitting targets in the United States.

In the past the US, and the whole world, always said:

- North Korea does not have the technology and secondary infrastructure to develop a nuclear weapon

- North Korea will never get enough enriched material together to build a nuclear weapon

- North Korea does not have the scientific knowledge to design a nuclear weapon

- North Korea does not have the funding required for a nuclear program

Don't worry, people of the world, North Korea is incapable of doing anything except bluster. And the world believed their leaders. Who now have been proven to be lazy idiots. They gave North Korea 50 years to focus on only one thing: Nuclear Capability. 50 years is a looong time for a country to develop and build, especially if the focus is narrow and sustained. And, North Korea is not so poor anymore...

And now, looking at the above quote: US Intelligence is still continuing with their lazy, idiotic assessment of NK's "masteries"...

On top of that: The US has Donald Trump as President, an incapable fool who alienates America's allies, a blustering buffoon whose policies divide the country and destroy confidence in leadership, a man whose qualities are nepotism, hate speeches and tweets, lying and back-pedaling... how utterly fortunate for North Korea. They simply have to act during Donald Trump's term.

 

[tonray]

The only question one needs to ask is are you willing to have the US commit 250,000 troops in a multi year war to occupy NK because that is the only thing that will rid the world of this menace. And that BTW does not take into account the fact that China would likely intervene once they realized that Kim was dead or removed from power to prevent western occupation, They will not allow South Korea and the US to occupy land next to their border.

 

If you want to throw the world into a recession and cause tens of thousands of deaths, then by all means blustering and attacking Nk is the way to do it.

 

The nuclear genie can NOT be put back in the bottle and unless you are prepared for all out war...stop with the BS (fire and fury my @#$)

 

There were several times the US under President Cheney (ha ha) was prepared to attack Iran with the goading of Israel but for whatever reason they held back. That did not turn out so bad in the scheme of things and could have been a lot worse if they had.

Edited August 9, 2017 by tonray

[F4UCorsair]

There's no doubt the US administration needs analysts like those posting here on TV, such clarity of thought, such tactical responses, such foolishness.

 

If Trump doesn't back up against this worm, he will walk all over whoever gets in his path.   Hopefully he'll realize before he sticks his head up too far, that it will be chopped off.  Bullies need to be opposed.

[JCauto]

1 minute ago, F4UCorsair said:

There's no doubt the US administration needs analysts like those posting here on TV, such clarity of thought, such tactical responses, such foolishness.

 

If Trump doesn't back up against this worm, he will walk all over whoever gets in his path.   Hopefully he'll realize before he sticks his head up too far, that it will be chopped off.  Bullies need to be opposed.

Well, Mr. Clarity-of-thought, could you kindly respond to my post that was directly quoting yours? Why is it you think the Left believes what you said they did? 

 

As to your post here, it seems indeed that you're in favour of a shooting war with NK. I presume you believe that the previous administration of the Kenyan Muslim guy didn't "back up" against this worm, and hence he was able to "walk all over whoever got in his path". Could you please detail exactly how the worm has done that? From what I can see, he's isolated in his impoverished gulag watching porno movies and desperately getting cash by exporting counterfeit currency and crappy restaurants. In your mind, has he managed to achieve some sort of strategic goal while doing so?

By the end of the Obama administration, NK was fully isolated and the Chinese were in the process of retrenching themselves in a far less supportive role.

[Pib]

Fire and Fury!!!!   Twitter Boy (Donald T.) now sounds like Fat Boy (Kim Jon-un).  

 

I wonder if Fat Boy has a Twitter account?  If he does, him and  Twitter Boy can play war on Twitter.

 

By the way, Fat Boy has already pretty much threatened to destroy most every country/city on Earth at one time or another...he throws out verbal threats like bird droppings.

[mtls2005]

Jeez and he's "on vacation"!

 

Ivanka needs to get his phone now, and get him on better meds.

[Tchooptip]

2 hours ago, canuckamuck said:

NK's stance is going a long way to helping the US manufacture consent for war. Nk's strategy for security is to be a barking dog. This can work, if the dog is clearly staying behind it's fence. Once outside it's a new game entirely.

Regular Americans are tired of war, but those who profit from the weapon sales have a lot of influence, with trillions at stake. If consent occurs, North Korea will be set on fire.

2

"If consent occurs, North Korea will be set on fire".

 

Maybe but then, sadly with South Corea all the US personnel in the region, and maybe Japan joining in the fire party, too scary 

[Tchooptip]

7 minutes ago, Pib said:

Fire and Fury!!!!   Twitter Boy (Donald T.) now sounds like Fat Boy (Kim Jon-un).  

 

I wonder if Fat Boy has a Twitter account?  If he does, him and  Twitter Boy can play war on Twitter.

 

By the way, Fat Boy has already pretty much threatened to destroy most every country/city on Earth at one time or another...he throws out verbal threats like bird droppings.

I wonder if Fat Boy has a Twitter account?  If he does, him and  Twitter Boy can play war on Twitter .  ?