| . |  |
. |
| . | |
. |
 by Staff Writers Washington (AFP) May 24, 2018
The Pentagon is ready to respond to any "provocative actions" from North Korea, an official said Thursday after President Donald Trump canceled a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. "We are in a boxer stance, we are ready to respond," Lieutenant General Kenneth McKenzie, director of the US military's Joint Staff, told reporters. "We'll see what develops over the next few days. If any provocative actions occur from (North Korea), we will certainly, in concert with our allies and partners in the region, be ready for it." Secretary of State Jim Mattis spoke with Trump by phone earlier in the day, but officials would not say if he had been part of the decision process to scrap the summit or was merely informed of it. Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White said the Pentagon is part of the US "maximum pressure" campaign against North Korea that includes tough sanctions, diplomatic moves and military readiness. "We are ready to fight tonight. That's always been the case," she said at a joint briefing with McKenzie. McKenzie added the Pentagon maintains a "very high" state of vigilance with North Korea. "We will continue that going forward to include our missile defense activities," he said. In a letter to Kim, Trump announced he would not go ahead with the high-stakes meeting set for June 12 in Singapore. The letter spoke of America's "massive and powerful" nuclear capabilities, marking a sudden return to the bellicose rhetoric that had been characteristic of Trump until he first announced the summit. Tensions with North Korea soared last year after Kim test-fired intercontinental ballistic missiles with a big enough range to hit the US, and conducted his sixth nuclear test. McKenzie said the Pentagon had not changed anything militarily during the short-lived thaw. "We didn't ramp up or down as word of this summit began to rise and now has ended," he said. "We are being very steady, very straight in terms of our preparations, in terms of the readiness that we display." The US military has some 28,500 troops based in South Korea and the two militaries routinely conduct joint training exercises on the peninsula. The US has also deployed a THAAD anti-missile battery in South Korea, designed to shoot down any rockets from the North.
Twists and turns of US-NKorean diplomatic rollercoaster Here is a look back at the diplomatic rollercoaster that took Trump and Kim from rhetorical warfare to the verge of the unprecedented summit in Singapore -- only for the hopes to be dashed in the final stretch. - Trading insults - On January 2, 2017, weeks before taking office, Trump vows North Korea will never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon capable of reaching US territory. But six months into Trump's presidency, in July, Kim conducts two intercontinental ballistic missile tests, and declares the entire United States to be within North Korea's range. The following month, Trump threatens "fire and fury" if Pyongyang continues to threaten America, kicking off months of saber-rattling that set the world on edge. Undeterred, Pyongyang weeks later test-fires a ballistic missile over Japan, and on September 3 carries out its sixth, "perfect" nuclear test, of a hydrogen bomb it claims can be mounted on a missile. On September 21, 2017, Washington unveils a raft of tough sanctions to curb North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile program, two days after Trump's maiden speech to the UN General Assembly, in which he dubs Kim a "Rocket Man" on a "suicide mission". In response, Kim brands Trump "mentally deranged" and a "dotard," warning he will pay dearly for his threats. As 2017 draws to a close, Kim boasts his missile arsenal can hit any city on the US mainland, warning in a New Year address that he has a "nuclear button" on his desk. Trump responds by saying his own nuclear button is "much bigger & more powerful." - 'Peace Olympics' - Following years of tensions, South Korea's hosting of the Winter Olympics in February 2018 gives the neighbors a window to reopen communications, ushering in a spectacular Korean detente. As the two Koreas march together for the opening ceremony, the South's President Moon Jae-in shares historic handshakes with Kim's sister Kim Yo Jong, and Trump's daughter Ivanka attends events with top officials from both sides. Washington makes clear it will keep up the pressure despite signs of a regional thaw -- slapping Pyongyang on February 23, 2018, with its largest ever set of sanctions, a move the regime calls an "act of war." But in a remarkable announcement at the White House, on March 8, a top South Korean official announces that Kim will "refrain from any further nuclear or missile tests" and has invited Trump to meet him -- and that Trump has agreed. The Olympics also pave the way for a historic inter-Korean summit, on April 27, which sees Pyongyang and Seoul promise to pursue the denuclearization of the peninsula and a permanent peace. - Pompeo in Pyongyang - Over the Easter weekend, Trump's CIA chief and nominee for secretary of state Mike Pompeo travels secretly to Pyongyang where he meets Kim and begins to lay the groundwork for the landmark summit. A month later, Pompeo makes a second unannounced trip aimed at finalizing the summit details -- and pressing for the release of three US citizens detained by Pyongyang. On May 9, Trump announces the three men are headed to the United States, personally welcoming them to Washington and offering effusive thanks to Kim. The next morning, Trump reveals the date and location of his "highly-anticipated meeting" with Kim, vowing to "make it a very special moment for World Peace!" As anticipation of the summit builds, talk grows of Trump as a contender for the Nobel Peace Prize -- an idea that the US president himself entertains in a speech. - The Unravelling - But storm clouds start gathering on May 16 when North Korea threatens to cancel the summit as it expresses "repugnance" towards Trump's National Security Advisor John Bolton. Bolton provoked Pyongyang's ire by suggesting it followed Libya's lead on denuclearization -- evoking memories of the demise of the late Moamer Kadhafi who was killed in a 2011 uprising after agreeing to scrap his nuclear program in 2003. A further threat to cancel the summit comes on May 23 as North Korea calls US Vice President Mike Pence "stupid" after he warned Kim against trying "to play" Trump. The next day, North Korea dismantles a nuclear test site in an apparent goodwill gesture. But only hours later, the White House releases the text of a letter from Trump to Kim saying his "open hostility" had scuppered the June 12 get-together.
Pompeo: North Korea wants US economic help Washington (AFP) May 23, 2018 North Korean leader Kim Jong Un wants economic help from the United States and security guarantees in exchange for denuclearization, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Wednesday. Pompeo, who has met Kim in Pyongyang twice in recent weeks to prepare the groundwork for a summit with President Donald Trump, told the House Foreign Affairs Committee that the historic talks are "still scheduled for June 12" despite reports of differences between the two sides. "We're optimistic that we can achieve ... read more
|
|||||||||||||
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2026 - SpaceDaily. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us. |
del.icio.us
Digg
Reddit
Google
