Trump says U.S. is 'locked and loaded' in North Korea confrontation

[rooster59]

Trump says U.S. is 'locked and loaded' in North Korea confrontation

By James Oliphant and Dahee Kim

 

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./SEOUL (Reuters) - President Donald Trump issued a new threat to North Korea on Friday, saying the U.S. military was "locked and loaded" as Pyongyang accused him of driving the Korean peninsula to the brink of nuclear war and world powers expressed alarm.

 

The Pentagon said the United States and South Korea would proceed as planned with a joint military exercise in 10 days, an action sure to further antagonize North Korea.

 

China, Russia and Germany voiced dismay at the escalating rhetoric from Pyongyang and Washington. Trump said he would speak to Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday night.

 

Trump, vacationing at his Bedminster, New Jersey, golf resort, kept up the war of words and again referenced North Korea's leader in his latest bellicose remarks toward Pyongyang this week. "Military solutions are now fully in place, locked and loaded, should North Korea act unwisely," he wrote on Twitter. "Hopefully Kim Jong Un will find another path!"

 

The term "locked and loaded," popularized in the 1949 war film "Sands of Iwo Jima" starring American actor John Wayne, refers to preparations for shooting a gun.

 

Asked later by reporters to explain the remark, Trump said: "Those words are very, very easy to understand."

 

Again referring to Kim, Trump added, "If he utters one threat ... or if he does anything with respect to Guam or any place else that's an American territory or an American ally, he will truly regret it, and he will regret it fast."

 

In remarks to reporters after a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, Trump said the situation with North Korea was "very dangerous and it will not continue."

 

"We will see what happens. We think that lots of good things could happen, and we could also have a bad solution," he said.

 

Friday's tweet by the Republican president, a wealthy businessman and former reality television personality, came after the North Korean state news agency, KCNA, put out a statement saying "Trump is driving the situation on the Korean peninsula to the brink of a nuclear war."

 

Guam, the Pacific island that is a U.S. territory, posted emergency guidelines on Friday to help residents prepare for any potential nuclear attack after a threat from North Korea to fire missiles in its vicinity.

 

"Do not look at the flash or fireball – It can blind you," the guidelines stated. "Take cover behind anything that might offer protection."

 

Guam is home to a U.S. air base, a Navy installation, a Coast Guard group and roughly 6,000 U.S. military personnel. KCNA said on Thursday the North Korean army would complete plans in mid-August to fire four intermediate-range missiles over Japan to land in the sea 18 to 25 miles (30-40 km) from Guam.

 

The United States, which is technically still at war with North Korea after the 1950-53 Korean conflict ended with only a truce, wants to stop Pyongyang from developing nuclear missiles that could hit the United States.

 

    North Korea, a reclusive nation with an underdeveloped economy and few allies aside from China, sees its nuclear arsenal as protection against the United States and its partners in Asia.

 

Trump said he was considering additional sanctions on North Korea, adding that they would be "very strong." Last week, the U.N. Security Council voted unanimously to impose new sanctions on Pyongyang.

 

'OVER THE TOP'

 

Trump said he did not want to talk about diplomatic "back channels" with North Korea after U.S. media reports that Joseph Yun, the U.S. envoy for North Korea policy, has engaged in diplomacy for several months with Pak Song Il, a senior diplomat at Pyongyang's U.N. mission, on the deteriorating relations and the issue of Americans imprisoned in North Korea.

 

But Daniel Russel, the former top U.S. diplomat for East Asia until April, said this so-called New York channel had been a relatively commonplace means of communication with North Korea over the years, and it was not a forum for negotiation.

 

"It's never been a vehicle for negotiations and this doesn’t constitute substantive U.S.-DPRK dialogue," he said, using the acronym for North Korea's formal name, Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

 

In Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov urged Pyongyang and Washington to sign up to a previously unveiled joint Russian-Chinese plan under which North Korea would freeze missile tests and the United States and South Korea would impose a moratorium on large-scale military exercises. Neither the United States nor North Korea has embraced the plan.

 

Lavrov said the risks of a military conflict over North Korea's nuclear program are very high and Moscow is deeply worried by the threats from Washington and Pyongyang.

 

"Unfortunately, the rhetoric in Washington and Pyongyang is now starting to go over the top," Lavrov said on live state television at a forum for Russian students. "We still hope and believe that common sense will prevail."

 

The annual joint U.S.-South Korean military exercise, called Ulchi-Freedom Guardian, is expected to proceed as scheduled starting on Aug. 21, said Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Logan, a Pentagon spokesman.

 

Trump's latest comments were a continuation of days of incendiary rhetoric, including his warning on Tuesday that the United States would unleash "fire and fury" on Pyongyang if it threatened the United States.

 

Amid the heated words, South Koreans are buying more ready-to-eat meals that could be used in an emergency and the government is planning to expand nationwide civil defence drills planned for Aug. 23. Hundreds of thousands of troops and huge arsenals are arrayed on both sides of the tense demilitarized zone between the two Koreas.

 

TRUMP RESPONDS TO MERKEL

 

Tension in the region rose when North Korea staged two nuclear bomb tests last year and increased further when it launched two intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) tests in July in defiance of world powers.

 

The United Nations this month tightened sanctions on Pyongyang after it tested two ICBMs designed to carry nuclear warheads to the United States.

 

The damage inflicted on world stocks this week by the tensions topped $1 trillion by Friday, as investors again took cover in the yen, the Swiss franc, gold and government bonds.

 

U.S. financial markets took the rhetorical escalation in stride on Friday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average <.DJI> rose 0.07 percent while the S&P 500 <.SPX> gained 0.13 percent and the Nasdaq Composite <.IXIC> firmed 0.64 percent.

 

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said there is no military solution to the dispute, adding that "an escalation of the rhetoric is the wrong answer."

 

"I see the need for enduring work at the U.N. Security Council ... as well as tight cooperation between the countries involved, especially the U.S. and China," Merkel told reporters in Berlin.

 

Trump said hours later, "Let her speak for Germany."

 

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini has called a meeting of EU member states next week to discuss what action they will take regarding North Korea.

 

There were no changes as of Friday morning in the U.S. military status in the continental United States or in the Pacific military command readiness or alert status, U.S. officials said.

 

China, North Korea's most important ally and trading partner, hopes all sides can do more to help ease the crisis and increase mutual trust, rather than taking turns in shows of strength, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said. Trump on Thursday again urged China to do more to resolve the situation.

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-08-12

[Scott]

Off-topic post removed.  

[steven100]

It's '  Locked and Loaded '   so pull the damn trigger ....

[darksidedog]

1 minute ago, steven100 said:

It's '  Locked and Loaded '   so pull the damn trigger ....

The major problem with actually doing that of course, is that millions of innocent people on both sides would get killed.

Donald's increasingly aggressive and poorly thought through rhetoric, is simply adding fuel to the flames. If this becomes conflict, it has the very real probability of being the "end of the world as we know it", so calmer heads, really do need to prevail.

 

[mtls2005]

My feeling is that the U.S. will utilize the GMD's on the Marshall Islands to knock down any subsequent ICBM launch from DPRK.

 

I seriously doubt the "intelligence:" re: miniaturized nukes, quantity, ICBM capabilities. To hit the U.S. (proper) a missile may have to overfly Russia, Japan and even possibly China; I can't see the Russians allowing that if only as it might fall on them due to system failure.

 

A DPRK nuke/missile is just as likely to fall back down on the DPRK or explode at launch, as it is to hit Guam. Hitting Guam with a first-time ICBM would be a one in a billion shot.

 

[tonray]

Kim made a fool out of Trump because Trump has no innate intelligence.....just bluster and bravado

[klauskunkel]

2 hours ago, rooster59 said:

the North Korean state news agency, KCNA, put out a statement saying "Trump is driving the situation on the Korean peninsula to the brink of a nuclear war."

Is North Korea saying here, they don't want a nuclear war? They really must have been totally misunderstood by the whole wold for all these years...

[jackh]

Trump is right on with his response to Kim. MAGA

[lovelomsak]

1 hour ago, darksidedog said:

The major problem with actually doing that of course, is that millions of innocent people on both sides would get killed.

Donald's increasingly aggressive and poorly thought through rhetoric, is simply adding fuel to the flames. If this becomes conflict, it has the very real probability of being the "end of the world as we know it", so calmer heads, really do need to prevail.

 

I like the direction this is taking. " end of life as we know it"  Life as I knew it has already ended. Borders crossed by illegals with support to do it by misinformed people. Political correctness,crippling every one. Women lib enabling the uniformed and easily lead. The world is now a basket case. It is not the world I know.

  I say let them go at it and maybe it will be a correction on what the world needs.Make nations make strong stands and stand by them. No more political correctness.  Get down and get the job done. 

   Let the war begin.

[British Bulldog]

And when all this settles down (Which hopefully it will), Trump (The Fake President) will sprout off how great his intervention was and we'll never hear the end of it ....

[maewang99]

Amerikee loves winners... we hate losers

p.s. America's best Army general said this... in a movie.. in the 1970's....
and who do we hate? people like John McCain. a loser.

but Donald Trump.... is locked and loaded.  he's a winner.

he also just happens to be an x-TV show Audience Surrogate.... same as the Best American Army General movie thing guy... as well as the Greatest Exception to the Death of an Audience Surrogate.... the one in his favorite book..... the book he says (sic) is his favorite book.

 

how about let's amend the Constitution and merge the UNSC with the POTUS gig... I'm already quite tired of the 2020 thing... and that's what this is all about.  not nukes. it's about 2020.  yeah it is. already? yeah, already. 

okay... and the TRUMP family legacy.

but who doesn't think Guterres of whoever wouldn't be better than this dingleberry... as well as Hillary & Bill???? that's right, I'm a Trump supporter.... as close as I will ever get, that is. 



 

[attrayant]

This is the president of the United States making threats to another country - via Twitter!  I just can't even.

 

He's also lying.  There has been no significant military deployment towards NK.

[ezzra]

What N. Korea doesn't have is the second strike capabilities while the US

might be hurting but will vaporize N. Korea to dust once and for all,

but when you have an unpredictable and aggressive person who don'st

relay care how many of his people will perish, that this is anybody game...

[lovelomsak]

48 minutes ago, ezzra said:

but when you have an unpredictable and aggressive person who don'st

relay care how many of his people will perish, that this is anybody game.

That is what I like about the guy. He is unpredictable and aggressive.. If there is any one out there willing to stand up to America it is Kim a little nation willing to take the fight on no matter what the costs. If he named his party something with Democrat in it every one would love him. 

[lungmi]

2 hours ago, darksidedog said:

The major problem with actually doing that of course, is that millions of innocent people on both sides would get killed.

Donald's increasingly aggressive and poorly thought through rhetoric, is simply adding fuel to the flames. If this becomes conflict, it has the very real probability of being the "end of the world as we know it", so calmer heads, really do need to prevail.

 

For me it's a dangerous show off  by these two chest drumming gorillas.  I hope the zoo-keepers of the ape houses

can calm them down.

[Cory1848]

1 hour ago, lovelomsak said:

I like the direction this is taking. " end of life as we know it"  Life as I knew it has already ended. Borders crossed by illegals with support to do it by misinformed people. Political correctness,crippling every one. Women lib enabling the uniformed and easily lead. The world is now a basket case. It is not the world I know.

  I say let them go at it and maybe it will be a correction on what the world needs.Make nations make strong stands and stand by them. No more political correctness.  Get down and get the job done. 

   Let the war begin.

 

Hmm ... “Life as [you] knew it” can only be your personal idea of some bygone era that’s probably half myth anyway. Your “basket case” is somebody else’s deliverance. You apparently don’t like “women’s lib,” but that already sort of happened, like fifty years ago, in most of the world (although you might want to check out rural Afghanistan, where women are still kept in their place). Embrace change, man, it’s not that bad! But please don’t wish for war, because that kills people.

[Beats56]

With all the bluster talking from both sides I have read there are back channel talks going on they we don't have privy to.

 

[tonray]

Trump to Kim : 

 

"If you don't want to be attacked you need to get Mexico to pay for a wall"

 

The Art of The Deal

[Tug]

If Donald had the smarts he would tell Kim we will let your people know how the rest of the world lives flaws and all then let the n Korean people take care of little Kim themselves but sadly Donald only knows how to bluster

[JHolmesJr]

we all know fatty kim doesn't have the tech to pull this off….so why get all bothered about it.

 

just another excuse to attack trump…..predictable.

[Sir Swagman]

I was always told 'never argue with an idiot, they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience'. But in this case.........?

[sweatalot]

America's conflict with North Korea (shit on their official name) has been around for a very long time and it getting worse was predictable.

 

A developed nation equipped with high technology, spying satellites everywhere, drones  and much more would be quite able to know everything  about the places of the nukes and the artillery and the whereabout of the leader of a country like NK. I trust the US does.

Otherwise the previous governments have failed miserably in this matter.

 

If so there might me military ways by now not thought of that could solve the matter without too much collateral damage. The US also had their advanced military training in 'Afghanistan, Irak ...

[aslimversgwm]

3 hours ago, lovelomsak said:

I like the direction this is taking. " end of life as we know it"  Life as I knew it has already ended. Borders crossed by illegals with support to do it by misinformed people. Political correctness,crippling every one. Women lib enabling the uniformed and easily lead. The world is now a basket case. It is not the world I know.

  I say let them go at it and maybe it will be a correction on what the world needs.Make nations make strong stands and stand by them. No more political correctness.  Get down and get the job done. 

   Let the war begin.

You lunatic you! We don't all have a death wish. Or do you think you'd survive a nuclear holocaust? What a benile response.

[billd766]

2 hours ago, ezzra said:

What N. Korea doesn't have is the second strike capabilities while the US

might be hurting but will vaporize N. Korea to dust once and for all,

but when you have an unpredictable and aggressive person who don'st

relay care how many of his people will perish, that this is anybody game...

 

I can understand that Kim Jong Un is probably certifiably crazy but with Donald Trump and his finger near the button for Armaggadon I am more scared by Trump.

 

KJU is driven by paranoia but Trump is driven by his ego, and IMHO, the more dangerous of the two.

 

As a religious non believer I am hoping that somebody's God somewhere lets saner heads prevail in the Whitehouse and the US military.

 

Trump also has no idea of the number of deaths and collateral damage a nuclear war will cost nor who will be affected by it.

 

If he believes that he can deal with KJU in a military manner I hope that he is willing to send ALL of his family to go and live in Seoul.

 

If he does release nuclear weapons I hope that he is arrested as a war criminal, given a speedy trial in the world courts and sentenced for life to clear away all the remaining dead bodies and clear the ground of nuclear waste using only a shovel and a wheelbarrow.

 

 

[billd766]

43 minutes ago, JHolmesJr said:

we all know fatty kim doesn't have the tech to pull this off….so why get all bothered about it.

 

just another excuse to attack trump…..predictable.

 

Really? And you know this how?

 

Do you have privy access to all the US secrets? Do please tell us all.

[puck2]

1 hour ago, lungmi said:

For me it's a dangerous show off  by these two chest drumming gorillas.  I hope the zoo-keepers of the ape houses

can calm them down.

I have read the the same appropriate words from a German professor:

Trump and Kim behave like gorillas pounding on their breasts.

 

I don't understand why there is no stand up by the US crowds to this completely sick and childish policy of the POTUS (LOTUS= Liar Of ...). Worse: why is there no stand up of the congress to kick him out of the White House ?

[mtls2005]

Now he's yammering on about a "military option" in Venezuela.

 

Does he own a hotel or golf club in Crazytown? Please, no more "Dirty Harry" movies for him.

 

Ivanka needs to be more proactive 'managing' him. Let him play more golf, and give him three scoops. It's worth it to save the world.

[billd766]

21 minutes ago, sweatalot said:

America's conflict with North Korea (shit on their official name) has been around for a very long time and it getting worse was predictable.

 

A developed nation equipped with high technology, spying satellites everywhere, drones  and much more would be quite able to know everything  about the places of the nukes and the artillery and the whereabout of the leader of a country like NK. I trust the US does.

Otherwise the previous governments have failed miserably in this matter.

 

If so there might me military ways by now not thought of that could solve the matter without too much collateral damage. The US also had their advanced military training in 'Afghanistan, Irak ...

 

Well the USA didn't do too well in either Afghanistan or Iraq. That is nothing be ashamed of in Afghanistan as no invader since Ghengis Khan has done well.

 

As for the first Iraq war the US and the co-alition had months to build up their massive forces in a Saudi Arabia before starting a fight. Back in 1950 the US and the UN almost lost the war and in those days they had far more men under arms, more equipment and more logistics

 

Nowadays they don't have the manpower, equipment, shipping logistics nor a big enough friendly country to do it in, nor will they have the time to build up their strength as KJU has most of S Korea targeted already. In addition KJU and N Korea don't care about collateral damage to either N or S Korea. They will get just the one shot at it, but this time I don't think China or Russia will help them.

 

Boots on the ground are the only real way to win and without logistical support the boots will wither and die.

 

N Korea already has a massive amount of boots on the ground, plenty of logistical support and they are the home team playing on their home ground.

[Rancid]

Even those in the US military admit N Korea just wants the bomb for its own protection...from the US. Perhaps they observed Qaddafi, Assad and Sadam, not hard to come to the conclusion if you don't carry a big stick then the masters of regime change will eventually come a knocking to introduce some freedom and democracy from 10,000 feet.

 

Really can't fathom the armchair generals that get their rocks off seeing the US turn 3rd world countries into stone age countries, the civilian death tolls are in the millions and has caused the refugee crisis that is turning Europe into a Muslim enclave, how is this good? Seems many a sociopath is afoot...

 

Seems that when we see 4 Thai guys beat up a single foreigner we all talk about what gutless b*stards they are, so how is the US blasting little countries with small militaries and little air defense somehow construed as being brave? It's not plain and simple gutless bullying?

[dutchisaan]

1 hour ago, JHolmesJr said:

we all know fatty kim doesn't have the tech to pull this off….so why get all bothered about it.

 

just another excuse to attack trump…..predictable.

A other excuse to attack your dear leader??? Man, please get real and see what you he heck is going on with your dear "president"!

This clown is insane, and I realy hope that the GOP has the guts to imply article 25 on this narcissistic, crazy want to be president.

By defending his, lying and all the other BS, you just show that you're standards about normal behavior is even lower than that of your master!

Now, you have a nice day, and look up something about HCR, what you can post later, and btw, don't forget to drink your cool aid.