Defense secretary James Mattis gave the U.S warning to North Korea on Friday that if they chose to use nuclear weapons, U.S. would retaliate effectively and overwhelmingly.
The provocative statement of Mattis was given during his visit to one of America's closest and long-time ally South Korea. He said as U.S. warning to North Korea that any attack on any U.S. territory and allies will be defeated, and any use of nuclear weapons would be met with a response that would be effective and overwhelming.
The said remark was an indirect reply to North Korea's threat of launching an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) at any time that is capable of reaching U.S. soil. Before Donald Trump's inauguration, outgoing defense secretary Ash Carter said that the US would shoot down any missile aimed at them or to an ally. That reply was more defensive, this time U.S. warning to North Korea is offensive.
Al Jazeera reported that there is a great deal of focus as to potential change in U.S. policy towards North Korea and towards ally South Korea. As known, North Korea intentionally defied UN resolutions and sanctions by doing 20 missiles and 2 nuclear tests last year. Trump remained non-vocal about his plan. People around the world are eager to know if he would not follow Obama's being passive about North Korea's actions during his term.
According to Financial Times, America's plan to deploy a US missile defense system called Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense or THAAD, an anti-ballistic missile system designed to shoot down short, medium, and intermediate range ballistic missiles in their terminal phase using a hit-to-kill approach, resulted objection from China claiming that the defense will just destabilize the security balance of the region. But South Korean Defense Minister Han Min-koo expressed full support to U.S.
North Korea has always been threatening South Korea complaining against regular military drills between U.S. and South Korea which they said provocations. Analysts said North Korea's threat should not be treated lightly since they are not bluffing. Once their ICBM would be fully developed America land is not far from becoming a sea of fire.
