Cape Times

US poll: trust in Trump down on N Korea

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WASHINGTON: An overwhelmi­ng majority of Americans oppose a pre-emptive strike on North Korea and most Americans trust US military leaders instead of President Donald Trump to handle the nuclear crisis responsibl­y, said a new poll on Sunday.

According to the Washington Post-ABC News poll, 67% of Americans believe the US should launch a military strike on North Korea only if Pyongyang first attacks the US or its allies.

As to their confidence in Trump on solving the North Korean nuclear issue, 37% of Americans trust Trump either “a great deal” or “a good amount” to handle the issue in a responsibl­e way, with 42% saying they don’t trust Trump “at all.”

In comparison, 72% of Americans trust US military leaders on the issue.

Trump last week threatened in a speech at the UN General Assembly, that the US “will have no choice than to totally destroy” the country if forced to defend itself or its allies.

After the threat, Pyongyang said it might test a hydrogen bomb in the Pacific Ocean. China urged all parties to avoid action that may increase tension, on Friday.

“The current situation on the peninsula is severe and complicate­d,” Foreign Minister spokespers­on Lu Kang said. “Only if all sides bear their due responsibi­lities, can the peninsula nuclear issue be truly resolved and peace and stability restored to the region.”

He said Pyongyang knows that China opposes its developmen­t of nuclear weapons and nuclear tests and that relevant parties should strictly “implement UN Security Council resolution­s and make positive efforts to resolve the issue through dialogue”. Xinhua

 ??  ?? North Koreans gather at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang to attend a mass rally against the US.
North Koreans gather at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang to attend a mass rally against the US.

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