As the country is rightly focusing on Harvey relief, and watching as Irma gains in strength in the Atlantic, as it heads toward the east coast, these events in North Korea are very serious. Here’s an update. JOing me in sending prayers up for all our troops in Japan and South Korea, and all the innocent civilians who are immediately under threat by the madman running the death camp known as North Korea.
Pentagon chief James Mattis says any threat to the US or its allies by North Korea will be met with a “massive military response”.
His comments came after a national security briefing with President Donald Trump about the secretive communist state’s latest nuclear test.
Pyongyang says it has successfully trialled a hydrogen bomb that could be loaded on to a long-range missile.
The move has drawn international condemnation.North Korea has defied UN sanctions and international pressure by developing nuclear weapons and test missiles that could potentially reach the US.
But speaking to reporters outside the White House, Defence Secretary Mattis said the US had the ability to defend itself and its allies South Korea and Japan, adding that its commitments were “ironclad”.
“Any threat to the United States or its territories – including Guam – or our allies will be met with a massive military response, a response both effective and overwhelming.” […]
The UN Security Council is to hold an emergency meeting on Monday to discuss an international response, according to the US mission.
Meanwhile, President Trump has warned that America may stop trading with any country that does business with the North.
What has happened?
The first suggestion that this was to be a far from normal Sunday in the region came when seismologists’ equipment started picking up readings of an earth tremor in the area where North Korea has conducted nuclear tests before.
The US Geological Survey put the tremor at 6.3 magnitude.
Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono said there was no doubt this was North Korea’s sixth nuclear test, calling it “unforgivable”.
