Trump meets military advisors as US bombers fly over Korean peninsula

Team Udayavani, Oct 11, 2017, 3:00 PM IST

Washington:  President Donald Trump has discussed a “range of options” with his top military advisors to respond to North Korea’s provocative missile and nuclear tests as two American heavy bombers flew over the Korean peninsula in a show of force against Pyongyang.

North Korea has fired 22 missiles during 15 tests since February, drawing a sharp reaction from the US and its allies. North Korea has launched two missiles over Japan and conducted its sixth nuclear test in recent weeks, creating new tension in the region.

Trump yesterday met his top advisors, including Defence Secretary James Mattis and Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff General Joseph Dunford, the White House said. “The briefing and discussion focused on a range of options to respond to any form of North Korean aggression or, if necessary, to prevent North Korea from threatening the United States and its allies with nuclear weapons,” the White House said.

During the meeting, Mattis and Dunford gave a briefing to Trump and his national security team on North Korea. Trump has engaged in an escalating war of words with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un amid rising tensions between the two countries. Trump even said that diplomatic efforts have not worked in dealing with North Korea.

“Presidents and their administrations have been talking to North Korea for 25 years, agreements made and massive amounts of money paid,” Trump tweeted on Saturday. It “hasn’t worked, agreements violated before the ink was dry, makings fools of US negotiators. Sorry, but only one thing will work!”, Trump said, hinting at taking military action against the regime.

Two B-1B Lancers based in Guam flew a mission in the vicinity of the Sea of Japan yesterday, the US Pacific Air Forces said in a statement, in an apparent show of force against Pyongyang.