U.S. Sends Aircraft Carrier Group Toward Korean Peninsula Show of force amid speculation that North Korea may try another weapons test in coming days By Dion Nissenbaum and Jonathan Cheng
https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-sends-aircraft-carrier-group-toward-korean-peninsula-1491708037
The U.S. Navy has canceled planned port calls in Australia for the USS Carl Vinson and is instead sending the aircraft carrier toward the Korean Peninsula amid concerns about possible new weapons tests by North Korea, military officials said.
Speaking on Fox News on Sunday, U.S. National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster said the president has ordered him to prepare “a full range of options” to the nuclear and missile threats North Korea poses to the U.S. and its allies, adding that it was a prudent move to send the Vinson strike group to warn Pyongyang against additional provocation.
But North Korea’s Foreign Ministry indicated on Sunday that it wasn’t cowed by the U.S. moves, calling Thursday’s U.S. strike against its ally, Syria, “an undisguised act of aggression against a sovereign state” and vowing to beef up its nuclear force .
Shortly after the strike, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the attack showed “[President Donald Trump] is willing to act when governments and actors cross the line,” in remarks widely regarded as being directed in part at Pyongyang.
The Vinson strike group, including the carrier and two guided-missile destroyers, is being dispatched to operate in the western Pacific Ocean in response to Pyongyang’s recent missile tests.
There is widespread speculation, based on satellite imagery and analysis, that North Korea might try to carry out another weapons test in the coming days as it prepares for its most important national holiday—the anniversary of the birth of the country’s founder, Kim Il Sung, on April 15.
North Korea carried out three missile tests in the past month, including a midrange-missile launch on April 5 that triggered a terse response from the Trump administration.
“The United States has spoken enough about North Korea,” Mr. Tillerson said after that test. “We have no further comment.”
Now, one official said, the Navy is sending the strike group as a show of force.
The Trump administration has issued a series of warnings to North Korea about its missile tests.
Last month, during a visit to South Korea, Mr. Tillerson said the U.S. “policy of strategic patience has ended” and that “all options are on the table.” CONTINUE AT SITE
Comments are closed.
