Kim poised for ‘final battle with US’
DONALD Trump warned North Korea yesterday that it “won’t be around much longer” if it continues its war of words against the United States.
The President’s tough line followed a threat from the rogue communist state to launch a preemptive strike against America.
A weekend of frank exchanges revealed no sign of a let-up in the fiery rhetoric between Washington and Pyongyang.
Last night North Korea’s staterun television claimed 100,000 people had attended an anti-US rally in Pyongyang.
North Korean foreign minister Ri Yong-ho cranked up the latest round of insults at the UN General Assembly on Saturday.
Dubbing the US leader “President Evil”, he claimed that it was inevitable North Korean rockets would attack the US because of his “rocket man” jibe at tyrant Kim Jong-un.
He said Mr Trump was mentally “deranged, full of megalomania” and on a “suicide mission”.
He went on: “We are waiting for the right time to have a final battle with the US. Now we are finally only a few steps away from the final gate of completion of the state nuclear force.”
However, Mr Trump responded: “Just heard foreign minister of North Korea speak at UN.
“If he echoes thoughts of little rocket man, they won’t be around much longer.”
Yesterday’s comments followed a week of insults from both sides.
On Thursday, Kim called Mr Trump a “mentally deranged US dotard”, while 24 hours later, Mr Trump called Kim a “madman”.
Just hours before the UN meeting, US bombers escorted by fighters flew near North Korea in a show of strength.
They flew further north of the demilitarised zone separating North and South Korea than any US fighter jet or bomber since the turn of the century.
The Pentagon said the action stressed the “seriousness” with which it took North Korea’s “reckless” missile programme.
“This mission is a demonstration of US resolve and a clear message that the President has many military options to defeat any threat,” it said.
“We are prepared to use the full range of military capabilities to defend the US homeland and our allies.”