Trump issues stern warning to North Korea and its leader: Be very, very nervous

[webfact]

Trump issues stern warning to North Korea and its leader

By James Oliphant

 

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters with Vice President Mike Pence at his side at Trump's golf estate in Bedminster, New Jersey U.S. August 10, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

 

BEDMINSTER, N.J. (Reuters) - President Donald Trump ratcheted up his rhetoric toward North Korea and its leader on Thursday, warning Pyongyang against attacking Guam or U.S. allies after it disclosed plans to fire missiles over Japan to land near the U.S. Pacific territory.

 

Trump took specific aim at North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, saying, "He has disrespected our country greatly. He has said things that are horrific. And with me, he's not getting away with it. He got away with it for a long time between him and his family. ... This is a whole new ball game."

 

North Korea's army will complete the plans in mid-August to fire four intermediate-range missiles over Japan to land near Guam, when they will be ready for Kim's order, state-run KCNA news agency said. The plans called for the missiles to land in the sea 30-40 km (18-25 miles) from Guam.

 

"I read about, 'We're in Guam by August 15th.' Let's see what he does with Guam. He does something in Guam, it will be an event the likes of which nobody's seen before, what will happen in North Korea," Trump, without offering specifics, told reporters in New Jersey.

 

"It's not a dare. It's a statement," Trump said. "He's not going to go around threatening Guam. And he's not going to threaten the United States. And he's not going to threaten Japan. And he's not going to threaten South Korea."

 

Tension in the region has risen since the reclusive communist country, which staged two nuclear bomb tests last year, launched two intercontinental ballistic missile tests in July in defiance of world powers. Trump has said he will not allow Pyongyang to develop a nuclear weapon capable of hitting the United States.

 

Far from toning down his words after saying on Tuesday that any threats by Pyongyang would be "met with fire and fury like the world has never seen," Trump said those remarks may have not gone far enough. "Maybe it wasn't tough enough," Trump said.

 

Trump's Tuesday comments had unnerved allies in the region and drew criticism from some politicians and foreign policy experts at home as needlessly pugnacious at a time when more measured language would be appropriate.

 

On Thursday in Bedminster, New Jersey, where he is on a working vacation, Trump also declared the U.S. nuclear arsenal "in tip-top shape, and getting better, and getting stronger."

 

Asked if he would consider a pre-emptive strike against North Korea to deny it the ability to launch a nuclear attack against the United States, Trump said, "We'll see what happens."

 

Trump during the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign complained that key Asian allies such as Japan and South Korea were not paying their fair share of their defence burden and even suggested they might need to develop their own nuclear weapons, a comment that ran counter to decades of U.S. anti-proliferation policy.

 

Since taking office, Trump has reaffirmed a commitment to defend those countries against any North Korean threat.

 

"If North Korea does anything in terms of even thinking about attack of anybody that we love or we represent or our allies or us, they should be very, very nervous," Trump added.

 

The United States and South Korea remain technically still at war with North Korea after the 1950-53 Korean conflict ended with a truce, not a peace treaty.

 

Trump also said that new sanctions on North Korea approved by the U.N. Security Council on Aug. 5 that could slash by a third the country's $3 billion annual export revenue probably "will not be as effective as a lot of people think it can be, unfortunately." Trump praised China and Russia for backing the sanctions, but pressed Beijing to do more.

 

"I think China can do a lot more, yes. ... And I think China will do a lot more," Trump said.

 

Trump said the United States loses a lot of money on trade with China. "It's not going to continue like that. But if China helps us, I feel a lot differently toward trade," Trump added.

 

The tensions between North Korea and the United States spurred a broad market sell-off in U.S. stocks. The benchmark S&P 500 stock index closed with a 1.4 percent loss, marking the biggest one-day drop since May and registering just the third day all year that it closed with a loss of more than 1 percent.

 

RISKS GROW

 

Experts in the United States and South Korea said North Korea's Guam plans ratcheted up risks significantly, since Washington was likely to view any missile aimed at its territory as a provocation, even if launched as a test.

 

If Pyongyang carries out its threatened show of force and launches missiles toward Guam, it would represent an unprecedented milestone in the already fraught relations between the United States and North Korea.

 

Trump said the United States would "always consider negotiations" with Pyongyang, but faulted three of his predecessors, Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, on their approach to North Korea.

 

The planned path of North Korea's missiles would cross some of the world's busiest sea and air traffic routes. The North Korean report said the missiles would cross the sky above Shimane, Hiroshima and Koichi Prefectures of Japan.

 

Guam, a tropical island more than 3,000 km (2,000 miles) to the southeast of North Korea, is home to about 163,000 people and a strategically located U.S. air base, Navy installation that includes a submarine squadron, a Coast Guard group and roughly 6,000 U.S. military service members.

 

"Sound dialogue is not possible with such a guy bereft of reason and only absolute force can work on him," KCNA said, calling Trump's "fire and fury" comment "a load of nonsense."

 

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter rebuked officials in both nations over their threatening language.

 

"The harsh rhetoric from Washington and Pyongyang during recent months has exacerbated an already confrontational relationship between our countries, and has probably eliminated any chance of good faith peace talks between the United States and North Korea," Carter said.

 

For interactive graphic on North Korea's missile capabilities, click - http://tmsnrt.rs/2t6WEPL 

 

 

(Additional reporting by Tim Ahmann, Eric Beech, Matt Spetalnick, David Brunnstrom in Washington and Daniel Bases in New York; Writing by Will Dunham; Editing by Howard Goller and Alistair Bell)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-08-11

[FreddieRoyle]

[bartender100]

Does Trump realise the people of North Korea are innocent in all this, its haircut boy needs taking out, not millions of its people

[inThailand]

Shoot his missiles down and put the ball back in his court and let him make the next move. Let the chess game begin!

[steven100]

US Carlson on-route and ready to attack North Korea

[steven100]

6 minutes ago, bartender100 said:

Does Trump realise the people of North Korea are innocent in all this, its haircut boy needs taking out, not millions of its people

you mean the same as Assad, Mugabe and a couple of others ... Egypt ...

[Bluespunk]

48 minutes ago, webfact said:

 

"It's not a dare. It's a statement," Trump said. "He's not going to go around threatening Guam. And he's not going to threaten the United States. And he's not going to threaten Japan. And he's not going to threaten South Korea."

He has. 

 

He is. 

 

He will. 

 

Possibly your threats and bs rhetoric are not helping either, mr grand poobah. 

 

[gummy]

41 minutes ago, bartender100 said:

Does Trump realise the people of North Korea are innocent in all this, its haircut boy needs taking out, not millions of its people

Exactly plus a few hundred Generals and other tin pots

[pegman]

Some people better be preparing to use the 25th Amendment  card on the draft dodger.

[darksidedog]

I said two days ago that only a fool would get involved in a game of rhetoric with North Korea. I believe my comment has been proven valid.

[ezzra]

This N. Korea business is a timely god's sent to Trump to redirect headaches 

and on going thorny issues at home to the Sabre rattlings now....

[Dave67]

Well looking on the bright side at least it wasn't very, very, very Nervous 

[binjalin]

I agree that past weakness with this monster in N.Korea has let him and his goons think that they can do what they want.

 

If there is a serious and credible threat take out their nuke bases, artillery and the leadership quickly and cleanly. 

[baboon]

47 minutes ago, binjalin said:

I agree that past weakness with this monster in N.Korea has let him and his goons think that they can do what they want.

 

If there is a serious and credible threat take out their nuke bases, artillery and the leadership quickly and cleanly. 

Just like that. Nothing simpler, eh? 

[inThailand]

Don't you have to assume the worst case senerio? The missiles are nuclear and they may hit land, ie Guam. So Isn't reasonable to shot them down? They may be guided by Thai electronics, so who knows where they may end up!

[binjalin]

36 minutes ago, baboon said:

Just like that. Nothing simpler, eh? 

And what's your solution to the lunatic in N.Korea?  who fires missiles and say's he can nuke the USA?  sit round and sing 'Kumbaya'? a little chat perhaps? this is not about Trump - I cant stand him - it's about a REAL threat by a communist dictatorship that is developing nuke weapons. Fiddling while Seoul burns is not an option.

[baboon]

28 minutes ago, inThailand said:

Don't you have to assume the worst case senerio? The missiles are nuclear and they may hit land, ie Guam. So Isn't reasonable to shot them down? They may be guided by Thai electronics, so who knows where they may end up!

Why would they arm a test missile with a nuclear warhead with all the possibilities for a calamity that it would entail? Missiles themselves aren't nuclear, they are just rockets, bear in mind.

[baboon]

1 minute ago, binjalin said:

And what's your solution to the lunatic in N.Korea?  who fires missiles and say's he can nuke the USA?  sit round and sing 'Kumbaya'? a little chat perhaps? this is not about Trump - I cant stand him - it's about a REAL threat by a communist dictatorship that is developing nuke weapons. Fiddling while Seoul burns is not an option.

Kumbaya and a little chat are far preferable to the potential devastation of the entire Korean peninsula. 

If he can nuke the US, that means he can also nuke Moscow, London, Bangkok, Delhi... Why aren't they panicking? 

[binjalin]

3 minutes ago, baboon said:

Kumbaya and a little chat are far preferable to the potential devastation of the entire Korean peninsula. 

If he can nuke the US, that means he can also nuke Moscow, London, Bangkok, Delhi... Why aren't they panicking? 

Not true, you know as well as I do that they don't have the range whereas Guam is 'nearby' and he says he can hit parts of the US. The monster subjugates a whole nation, kidnaps USA citizens and sends one back to die and blows his own Uncle to bits with an anti-air artillery. He now states he WILL bomb the USA and they should do nothing???  really???

Edited August 11, 2017 by binjalin

[coulson]

I said two days ago that only a fool would get involved in a game of rhetoric with North Korea. I believe my comment has been proven valid.

Yeah but the rhetoric is generating support at home and diverting media attention from elsewhere.

Meanwhile NK take him less seriously with every statement. It's like listening to Mcgregor and Mayweather except there is a little more at stake than 100 million fist fight.

[baboon]

3 minutes ago, binjalin said:

Not true, you know as well as I do that they don't have the range whereas Guam is 'nearby' and he says he can hit parts of the US. The monster subjugates a whole nation, kidnaps USA citizens and sends one back to die and blows his own Uncle to bits with an anti-air artillery. He now states he WILL bomb the USA and they should do nothing???  really???

You say his missiles don't have the range to hit the US then you say they do. Which is it?

What could he possibly hope to gain by a preemptive attack against the continental US or any of its territories?

[binjalin]

6 minutes ago, baboon said:

You say his missiles don't have the range to hit the US then you say they do. Which is it?

What could he possibly hope to gain by a preemptive attack against the continental US or any of its territories?

I didn't say that. I said not MOSCOW, DELHI and LONDON which you threw into the mix. He claims then can hit parts of America and the history is all there if you bring in other cities it's simply deflection. This is about the historical problems between N.Korea and the US. He's already said he will do it... if someone threatens POTUS do the FBI sit there and say 'what possible motive'?  It is reasonable to assume that he IS a great threat as he test fires missiles regularly.   

[baboon]

Just now, binjalin said:

I didn't say that. I said not MOSCOW, DELHI and LONDON which you threw into the mix. He claims then can hit parts of America and the history is all there if you bring in other cities it's simply deflection. This is about the historical problems between N.Korea and the US. He's already said he will do it... if someone threatens POTUS do the FBI sit there and say 'what possible motive'?  It is reasonable to assume that he IS a great threat as he test fires missiles regularly.   

Every country with military hardware tests it. There is nothing unusual about that.

The US has been threatened with a strike IN RETALIATION if the DPRK are attacked themselves. 

[binjalin]

Just now, baboon said:

Every country with military hardware tests it. There is nothing unusual about that.

The US has been threatened with a strike IN RETALIATION if the DPRK are attacked themselves. 

Normally I agree with your posts (especially about Junta etc.) but we'll have to disagree on this one. I agree with Trump that they are WHAT they are because no action was taken. If they are a credible threat AND they fire at Guam then action has to be taken. Bullies only know strength.   

[Scott]

Troll post has been reported and removed.  

[baboon]

Just now, binjalin said:

Normally I agree with your posts (especially about Junta etc.) but we'll have to disagree on this one. I agree with Trump that they are WHAT they are because no action was taken. If they are a credible threat AND they fire at Guam then action has to be taken. Bullies only know strength.   

If they attack Guam then I would back any US retaliatory counterstrike, but I doubt they will. Why would they (DPRK) want to seal their own doom?

 

Nothing wrong with a bit of healthy disagreement. It is how progress is made...?

[binjalin]

3 minutes ago, baboon said:

If they attack Guam then I would back any US retaliatory counterstrike, but I doubt they will. Why would they (DPRK) want to seal their own doom?

 

Nothing wrong with a bit of healthy disagreement. It is how progress is made...?

Let's hope it does not come to any of that. But I think it might, sooner or later, but I'd be delighted if I'm wrong.

 

[Moti24]

When Trump was elected, I immediately imagined that WW3 was just around the corner.  However, the conflict with NK has highlighted the need to strike hard on any nation threatening world peace.  Kim Jong-un is nothing more than an irresponsible despot, who should have been slaughtered at birth.  His people live in fear of him, and some of whom no doubt lead a miserable life.  The only course of action open is that he be eradicated from the face of the earth.

 

Lessons should be learnt from the Gulf wars.  Saddam Hussein could have been terminated during the first Gulf war, but it didn't happen.  What did happen though, is a second Gulf war, which could have been avoided, had stronger action been taken in the first place.

 

People die during wars, and there is no doubt that civilian casualties outnumber those of the military.  They call it, "Collateral damage", which is unavoidable.  I don't condone innocent people being killed during any conflict, but, as the saying goes, "It's for the greater good".  If action is not taken now, even more innocent people will be killed in the not too distant future.

 

Kim Jung-on will be at the launch site to press the button, as usual.  So, the second that the missile is launched, that's where he'll be.

 

Good luck to the innocent North Korean people.

[Thakkar]

[Andaman Al]

3 hours ago, binjalin said:

I agree that past weakness with this monster in N.Korea has let him and his goons think that they can do what they want.

 

If there is a serious and credible threat take out their nuke bases, artillery and the leadership quickly and cleanly. 

how do you propose taking out 500K artillery pieces pointing at Seoul quickly and cleanly when we don't know where they all are? A pre-emptive nuclear strike on the South Korean border next to Seoul perhaps? Tell us how you would take them out, 500K of them without North Korea starting to fire 60 000 shells an hour minimum at Seoul. There is NO easy solution. This is NOT an Iraq.