N Korea says it may 'reduce the US mainland to ashes'
11 Aug 2017 4:34 PM GMT
The US mainland could be "reduced to ashes at any moment", the North Korean government's official newspaper has said, as tensions between the two countries continue to mount.
The Rodong Sinmun, an official mouthpiece of Kim Jong-un's ruling Workers' Party, said the "reckless and hysteric" behaviour of Donald Trump would be to blame if the US is attacked.
The Trump administration has been "seized with anxiety and terror" following North Korea's successful testing of a long-range missile, the newspaper claimed, saying "US military warmongers are running amok". "It is a tragedy that the reckless and hysteric behaviours may reduce the US mainland to ashes [at] any moment," it continued, according to KCNAWatch.
Ominously, it said it was the "steadfast will" of North Korea to "put an end to the hostile moves of the US" and vowed that the communist state will "win the final victory in the stand-off with imperialism and the US". "The US and its vassal forces will dearly pay for the harshest sanctions and pressure and reckless military provocations against the DPRK," it added.
The latest threats follow days of mounting tensions between the US government and the North Korean regime.
The escalation began when North Korea tested an intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) and Trump threatened to inflict "fire and fury the like of which the world has never seen" on the country in response. Kim Jong-un's government then announced it was putting together plans to fire four missiles close to the US Pacific territory of Guam.
As the war of words continued, the US ramped up joint military exercises with Japan and South Korea and flew bomb B-1B bombers over the Korean peninsula. Amid criticism that his aggressive comments had stoked tensions, Donald Trump claimed his previous remark "maybe wasn't tough enough" and said North Korea should be "very, very nervous".
"They've been doing this to our country for a long time, for many years," he added. "And it's about time that somebody stuck up for the people of this country and for the people of other countries."
Meanwhile, if North Korea launches missiles on Guam, it would take only about 14 minutes for the rockets to reach the US territory, the island's Homeland Security spokeswoman announced. Jenna Gaminde told a press briefing on Thursday that the residents would be immediately notified by the 15 All-Hazards Alert Warning System sirens, located in low-lying areas throughout the island, the Pacific Daily News reported.
Gaminde's remarks comes after North Korea announced earlier on Thursday that the nation has a detailed plan for a missile strike near Guam, where about 7,000 US troops are stationed, using four intermediate-range ballistic rockets.
The plan calls for sending 12 rockets over Japan to crash in the waters about 30 miles from Guam, which is 2,100 miles east of the Korean peninsula.
"Our office will be notified from the military and will utilize all forms of mass communication to get the message out to the public.
"Local media, village mayors and social media would be used to disseminate information. "If you hear the sirens, tune into local media - radio, print, television - for further instructions," the spokeswoman added.
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