Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
N. Korea softens tone, says U.S. can avoid crisis
Kim: Regime to hit waters near Guam, if ‘Yankees persist’
SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea said Tuesday that its military presented leader Kim Jong Un with plans to launch intermediate-range missiles into waters near Guam and “wring the windpipes of the Yankees” by creating “enveloping fire” near the key U.S. military hub in the Pacific.
The comments are significant because they also appeared to signal a path to defuse a deepening crisis with Washington over a weapons program that is seen as nearing the ability to accurately send a nuclear missile to the U.S. mainland.
During an inspection of the army’s Strategic Forces, which handles the missile program, Kim praised the military for drawing up a “close and careful plan” and said he would watch the “foolish and stupid conduct of the Yankees” a little more before deciding whether to order the missile test, the North’s staterun Korean Central News Agency said. Kim appeared in photos sitting at a table with a large map marked by a straight line between what appeared to be northeastern North Korea and Guam, and passing over Japan — apparently showing the missiles’ flight route.
Kim said North Korea would conduct the launches if the “Yankees persist in their extremely dangerous reckless actions on the Korean Peninsula and its vicinity” and that the United States should “think reasonably and judge properly” to avoid shaming itself, the news agency said.
Lobbing missiles toward Guam would be a deeply provocative act from the U.S. perspective, and a miscalculation on either side could lead to a military clash. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said the United Sates would take out any such missile seen to be heading for American soil and declared any such North Korean attack could mean war.
“If they fire at the United States, it could escalate into war very quickly,” he said. “Yes, that’s called war, if they shoot at us.”
Later he said, “If they shoot at the United States, I’m assuming they hit the United States. If they do that, it’s game on.”
Kim’s comments, however, with their conditional tone, seemed to hold out the possibility that friction could ease if the United States made some sort of gesture that Pyongyang considered a move to back away from previous “extremely dangerous reckless actions.” This might be difficult as the United States and ally South Korea plan next week to start annual defensive military drills that the North claims are preparation for invasion.
On Monday, the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff met with senior South Korean military and political officials and the local media. Marine Corps Gen. Joseph Dunford also made comments that appeared to be an attempt to ease anxiety over tit-for-tat threats between President Donald Trump and North Korea while also showing a willingness to back up Trump’s warnings if needed.
Dunford said the United States wants to peacefully resolve tensions with North Korea. But Washington is also ready to use the “full range” of its military capabilities in case of provocation, Dunford said.
North Korea said last week that it would finalize the plan to fire four ballistic missiles near Guam. North Korea is angry about new United Nations sanctions over its expanding nuclear weapons and missile program and the upcoming military drills between Washington and Seoul.
China moved to tighten economic pressure on North Korea on Monday by implementing the new U.N. sanctions as the Commerce Ministry announced a ban on imports of iron ore, iron, lead and coal from North Korea effective Tuesday — although China will continue to clear goods that have already arrived in port until Sept. 5.