Mattis warns of ‘massive military response’ if North threatens U.S.

U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis issued a warning to North Korea Sunday afternoon following the North’s testing of a powerful nuclear bomb, vowing a “massive military response” if the rogue nation threatens the U.S., CNN reported.

“Any threat to the United States or its territories including Guam or our allies will be met with a massive military response,” Mattis said in a statement outside of the White House after a meeting with President Donald Trump, Vice President Mike Pence and other members of Trump’s security team.

Mattis said Trump asked for a briefing on the “many militay options” available for  addressing the escalating threat from North Korea.

“We are not looking to the total annihilation of a country, namely, North Korea,” Mattis said after underscoring that the United Nations Security Council agrees North Korea is a threat, and is committed to denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula.

The Trump administration is drafting new economic sanctions against North Korea, following the North’s overnight testing of a powerful nuclear weapon, in its first test of a hydrogen bomb since President Donald Trump took office.

 

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