Tillerson defends Trumps forceful warning to North Korea [View all]

[Eugene]

EDIT: new headline at link

Original headline: Tillerson backs Trumps strong warnings to North Kofirea after no headway with 'diplomatic language'

Source: Washington Post

Tillerson defends Trump’s forceful warning to North Korea

By Carol Morello August 9 at 8:12 AM

GUAM — Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Wednesday defended President Trump’s forceful warning to North Korea to stop threatening the United States, and dismissed concerns Guam is in any imminent danger from Pyongyang’s missiles.

“What the president is doing is sending a strong message to North Korea in language that Kim Jong Un would understand, because he doesn’t seem to understand diplomatic language,” Tillerson said during an interview with two pool reporters while flying from Malaysia to a scheduled refueling stop in Guam.

“I think the president just wanted to be clear to the North Korean regime that the U.S. has the unquestionable ability to defend itself, will defend itself and its allies, and I think it was important that he deliver that message to avoid any miscalculation on their part.”

On Tuesday, Trump sharply ratcheted up rhetoric against North Korea, saying it would face “fire and fury” if it does not stop threatening the United States. Trump did not make clear whether he was responding to the latest bellicose remarks from North Korea or a report in The Washington Post that the North had successfully produced a miniaturized nuclear warhead capable of fitting inside its ballistic missiles.

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Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/tillerson-backs-trumps-strong-warnings-to-north-korea-after-failure-of-diplomatic-language/2017/08/09/e22d02ee-7cf3-11e7-9d08-b79f191668ed_story.html