North Korea will continue to plan a strike on the U.S. territory of Guam in the Western Pacific, despite warnings from both President Donald Trump and U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis.
The plan to launch four intermediate-range missiles at Guam could be ready within a few days, and would be completed by mid-August, according to North Korea’s state-run media, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
“Sound dialogue is not possible with such a guy bereft of reason and only absolute force can work on him,” North Korean General Kim Rak Gyom said in a statement, referring to President Trump, according to The Guardian; Gyom added that the missiles would “envelope” the island of Guam.
“The Hwasong-12 rockets to be launched by the KPA [Korean People’s Army] will cross the sky above Shimani, Hiroshima and Koichi prefectures of Japan,” the statement said. “They will fly for 3,356.7 km for 1,065 seconds and hit the waters 30 to 40 [kilometers] away from Guam.”
North Korea missiles can reach Guam in 14 minutes, a local official says. https://t.co/fxUuFrmgsJ pic.twitter.com/gSBB1Nmmtw
— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) August 10, 2017
North Korea’s plans would be ready for Kim Jong Un by mid-August, the statement said.
This comes on the heels of Trump saying North Korea would be met with “fire and fury” if it continues to threaten the United States. And just this week, Mattis said North Korea should “cease any consideration of actions that would lead to the end of its regime and destruction of its people.”
“While our State Department is making every effort to resolve this global threat through diplomatic means, it must be noted that the combined allied militaries now possess the most precise, rehearsed and robust defensive and offensive capabilities on Earth. The DPRK regime’s actions will continue to be grossly overmatched by ours and would lose any arms race or conflict it initiates,” Mattis said.
“North Korea best not make any more threats to the United States,” Trump said earlier this week. “They will be met with fire and fury like the world has never seen.”
“He [Kim Jong Un] has been very threatening – beyond a normal statement – and as I said, they will be met with fire, fury and frankly power the likes of which the world has never seen before,” Trump added.
Tensions between the United States and North Korea are growing to an all-time high.
The United Nations Security Council recently voted unanimously to sanction North Korea where it hurts – on its exports. The sanctions would cut North Korea’s export revenue by $1 billion, or about a third. The sanctions ban North Korea from exporting coal, iron, iron ore, lead, lead ore and seafood, and were passed unanimously with a 15-0 vote by the U.N. Security Council; this included support from North Korean allies China and Russia.
The sanctions were in response to Kim Jong Un’s two successful intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) in July.
Kim Jong Un has said his weapons are ready to attack “any place, any time.“
The ICMB tests are “meant to send a grave warning to the U.S.,” and Kim Jong Un “proudly” said that the tests confirm “all the U.S. Mainland is within our striking range,” according to the KCNA.
North Korea has also said it will never stop testing its weapons or deter its efforts to expand its missile program.
North Korea had its first successful test of an ICBM early in July.
On the eve of July Fourth, North Korea successfully tested its first Hwasong-14 missile, and Kim Jong Un reportedly said there are more “gifts” for the “American bastards.”
Its most recent test was July 28. That ICBM test landed in the Sea of Japan, but experts say it could have reached as far as New York City, based on how long it flew and distance travelled.
Sen. Lindsey Graham recently said that President Donald Trump says there will be war with North Korea over missiles, especially if North Korea continues to threaten to aim ICBMs at the U.S.
While North Korea continues to test missiles and expand its missile program, officials say the United States is ready to respond with greater force.
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