IANS | 11 Aug, 2017
The US President Donald Trump on Thursday said that perhaps his
threat to visit "fire and fury" upon North Korea for its provocations
"wasn't tough enough," despite sparking worldwide fears of a
potential nuclear conflict.
Trump reaffirmed his threats against the regime of Kim Jong-un in remarks to
reporters before a security meeting with Vice President Mike Pence, national
security adviser H.R. McMaster and Cabinet chief John Kelly, Efe reported.
On Tuesday, Trump had said that if North Korea continued its provocations it
would face "fire and fury like the world has never seen," a comment
that prompted Pyongyang to threaten to attack the island of Guam, a US
territory where Washington maintains an important naval base.
Trump maintained his hardline stance on Thursday, saying that if North Korea
launched an attack, "things will happen to them that they never thought
possible."
Nevertheless, the president left the door open to diplomacy, but he also said
that for 25 years attempts at dialogue with Pyongyang's communist regime had
failed and "it's about time that somebody stuck up for the people of this
country."
With Pence at his side, before going into the meeting at his Bedminster, New
Jersey, golf club, where he is on an extended vacation, Trump said that he is
supported "100 per cent by our military" and by other world leaders.
Trump expressed thanks to China and Russia, traditional allies of Pyongyang,
for voting last weekend in favour of new sanctions in the UN Security Council
in response to the two most recent North Korean ICBM tests in July.
Trump said he did not want to comment upon the possibility that Washington
could stage a preemptive strike on North Korea, which on Thursday said it was
finalizing plans to launch two medium-range missiles into the exclusive
economic zone off the coast of Guam.
'N.Korean missiles can reach Guam in 14 minutes'
If North Korea launches
missiles on Guam, it would take only about 14 minutes for the rockets to reach
the US territory, the island's Homeland Security spokeswoman announced.
Jenna Gaminde told a press briefing on Thursday that the residents would be
immediately notified by the 15 All-Hazards Alert Warning System sirens, located
in low-lying areas throughout the island, the Pacific Daily News reported.
Gaminde's remarks comes after North Korea announced earlier on Thursday that
the nation has a detailed plan for a missile strike near Guam, where about
7,000 US troops are stationed, using four intermediate-range ballistic rockets.
The plan calls for sending 12 rockets over Japan to crash in the waters about
30 miles from Guam, which is 2,100 miles east of the Korean peninsula.
"Our office will be notified from the military and will utilize all forms
of mass communication to get the message out to the public.
"Local media, village mayors and social media would be used to disseminate
information.
"If you hear the sirens, tune into local media - radio, print, television
- for further instructions," the spokeswoman added.