Guam Caught In Middle Of War Of Words Between US, North Korea
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WASHINGTON (CBSMiami) - Residents of Guam find themselves right smack in the middle of a dangerous war of words between the US and North Korea.
On Tuesday, President Trump issued a threat of "fire and fury."
Pyongyang responded by issuing a statement saying it is examining plans to make "an enveloping fire at the areas around Guam." The small Pacific island has two military bases housing more than six thousand American soldiers and airmen.
"There is no change in the threat level resulting from North Korea events," said Guam Gov. Eddie Calvo.
Calvo tried to offer reassurances to nervous residents after North Korea said it's examining operational plans for attacking the island.
"I've reached out to the White House this morning, an attack or threat on Guam is an attack or threat on the United States. They have said that America will be defended," said Calvo.
Pyongyang's threats are part of a dangerous ramping up of rhetoric between North Korea and the U.S.
Tuesday, President Trump issued his most stern warning yet.
"North Korea best not make any more threats to the United States. They will be met with the fire and the fury like the world has never seen," he said.
Wednesday morning, Trump took to Twitter to push the point home.
My first order as President was to renovate and modernize our nuclear arsenal. It is now far stronger and more powerful than ever before....
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 9, 2017
...Hopefully we will never have to use this power, but there will never be a time that we are not the most powerful nation in the world!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 9, 2017
Over the weekend, the UN levied the heaviest sanctions yet against North Korea. The new measures were in response to two recent launch tests which showed the rogue regime has missiles capable of reaching the U.S.
"It's the goal of the American president to stop North Korea from having an ICBM that can hit America with a nuclear weapon on top. He would go to war to prevent that," said South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham.
"What the president was doing was sending a strong message to North Korea in language that Kim Jung Un would understand," said Secretary of State Rex Tillerson during a stop in Guam.
Tillerson added that he wasn't worried about North Korea's threats and Americans should lose any sleep either.
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio is offering his support.
"I don't think the rhetoric is a problem. I think the problem is there is a lunatic in North Korea with nuclear weapons and the ability to put them on a missile that can reach the United States," he said.
But not everyone was behind the president's tough talk.
"The great leaders I've seen don't threaten unless they're ready to act, and I'm not sure President Trump is ready to act," said Arizona Sen. John McCain.
U.S. analysts say North Korea has made a nuclear warhead small enough to fit on top of a ballistic missile.
Though North Korea may have produced a missile capable of carrying a nuclear payload, experts say they're doubtful those missiles are capable just yet of clearing the other two crucial hurdles needed to reach the U.S: accurate targeting systems and the ability to re-enter the atmosphere, undamaged, from space.