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US-Korean Escalation, Political Skirmishes or Imminent Nuclear War? | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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Caption: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un watches the Masikryong ski competition-2016 in this undated photo released by North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) December 20, 2016. KCNA via REUTERS


London- Skirmishes between the US and North Korea leaders proceeded during the past days and words such as “fire” and “fury” replaced “economic sanctions” and “international isolation”, in an escalation that some saw might take a military approach.

North Korea said on Wednesday it is “carefully examining a plan to strike the US Pacific territory of Guam with missiles.” The strike plan will be “put into practice in a multi-current and consecutive way any moment once leader Kim Jong-Un makes a decision.”

The Korean threat came in response to Trump statements at the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey: “North Korea best not make any more threats to the United States. They will be met with fire and fury like the world has never seen.”

Trump affirmed in a tweet, “My first order as President was to renovate and modernize our nuclear arsenal. It is now far stronger and more powerful than ever before.” He added, “Hopefully we will never have to use this power.”

France called on all the concerned parties to act responsibly and de-escalate the situation regarding North Korea, after North Korea said it was considering plans for a missile strike on the US Pacific territory of Guam.

“We call on all sides to act responsibly,” government spokesman Christophe Castaner told reporters at a news briefing on Wednesday, adding that France was preoccupied by the situation.

Germany as well called on North Korea and the US to de-escalate the situation while China urged in a statement all parties to proceed pursuit to reach a peaceful solution in the nuclear topic.