TRUMP: WE’RE READY FOR WAR
US military is ‘locked and loaded’
PRESIDENT Trump declared America was “locked and loaded” yesterday in readiness for war.
North Korea accused the US Commander in Chief of driving the country to the
brink of nuclear conflict. But Donald Trump warned: “Military solutions are now fully in place, locked and loaded, should North Korea act unwisely. Hopefully Kim Jong-un will find another path.”
US Defence Secretary James Mattis had earlier said war would be “catastrophic” and insisted diplomatic efforts were “gaining results”.
The term “lock and load” was popularised in the 1949 Second World War film Sands Of Iwo Jima, starring John Wayne. It refers to the M1 Garand rifle which was prepared for firing by “locking” open the breech before “loading” with ammunition.
The latest escalation in the tension came after North Korea gave details of its plans to fire missiles at the US Pacific island of Guam.
Mr Trump later retweeted a statement from US Pacific Command saying B-1B Lancer bombers on Guam stood ready to fulfil a “Fight Tonight” mission if called upon to do so.
The planes carry a payload of 168 bombs each and could strike North Korean targets.
The North Korean state news agency KCNA said in a statement yesterday: “Trump is driving the situation on the Korean peninsula to the brink of a nuclear war.” It added that Washington was “the mastermind of nuclear threat, the heinous nuclear war fanatic”.
China also weighed into the crisis yesterday, urging both sides to defuse tension – but also issuing a sinister threat to the US.
Beijing would remain neutral unless America attacked its ally North Korea first, a state-controlled newspaper said. The Global Times – often dubbed a mouthpiece for the ruling Communist Party – wrote in an editorial that “China will respond with a firm hand” if the row damages China’s interests.
It said: “China should also make clear that if North Korea launches missiles that threaten US soil first and the US retaliates, China will stay neutral.” But if the US or South Korea were to make a pre-emptive strike then China would be forced to act.
“If the US and South Korea carry out strikes and try to overthrow the North Korean regime and change the political pattern of the Korean peninsula, China will prevent them from doing so.”
Russia’s Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, urged both sides to sign up to a joint Russian-Chinese plan which would see North Korea stop its missile tests and the US and South Korea temporarily suspend large military exercises in the area.
He said: “The risks are very high, especially taking into account the rhetoric. Direct threats of using force are heard. The talk is that there must be a preventive strike on North Korea, while Pyongyang is threatening to carry out a missile strike on the US base in Guam. These threats continue non-stop and they worry us a lot. I won’t get into guessing what happens ‘if’. We will do whatever we can to prevent this ‘if’.
“When you get close to the point of a fight breaking out, the side that is stronger and cleverer should take the first step away from the threshold of danger.” The Pentagon yesterday confirmed that the military exercises would go ahead later this month. Pyongyang described them as a “rehearsal for war”.
Mr Mattis confirmed military options had been drawn up amid concern over Kim Jong-un’s nuclear programme. He said: “My portfolio, my mission, my responsibility is to have military options should they be needed. However, you can see the American effort is gaining diplomatic results. The tragedy of war is well enough known, it doesn’t need another characterisation beyond the fact that it would be catastrophic.”
China’s foreign ministry urged the US and North Korea to be “cautious” with their words and actions.
China is worried that any conflict on the Korean peninsula could unleash a wave of refugees and regards North Korea as a useful buffer between it and US forces in the South.
‘China will remain neutral unless the US strikes first’