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That means the long-dormant concrete pads at the ends of this base’s 11,000-foot runway — dubbed the “Christmas tree” for their angular markings — could once again find several B-52s parked on them, laden with nuclear weapons and set to take off at a moment’s notice. “This is yet one more step in ensuring that we’re prepared,” Gen. David Goldfein, Air Force chief of staff, said in an interview during his six-day tour of Barksdale and other U.S. Air Force bases that support the nuclear mission. “I look at it more as not planning for any specific event, but more...

North Korea has warned it will not be intimidated by Donald Trump's threats in an "unprecedented" letter sent to other countries. "If Trump thinks that he would bring the DPRK, a nuclear power, to its knees through nuclear war threat, it will be a big miscalculation and an expression of ignorance," the letter said. "Trump threatened to totally destroy the DPRK ... it is an extreme act of threatening to totally destroy the whole world." The document was published by the Sydney Morning Herald and has been verified by Australia's foreign ministry. Foreign minister Julie Bishop described the missive as...

An increasingly hostile relationship between the U.S. and North Korea has Americans considering a preemptive strike on the country—and many Republicans are all for it. About 46 percent of Republicans support a preemptive strike on North Korea today—compare that with just 42 percent of Republicans who say they don't support it, according to a new Quinnipiac University poll. When members of both major parties are surveyed, that question changes a lot. Only 16 percent of Democrats favor the idea of the U.S. making a preemptive strike on North Korea, while a whopping 77 percent of Democrats oppose it. Across both...

DONALD Trump has held a meeting on the growing North Korea crisis in the White House's famous "situation room" along with the US Generals, reports say. Trump is reported to have held a briefing on North Korea at the White House along with US National Security Council. The situation room often hosts "war councils" during times of conflict, and was famously where Barack Obama monitored the mission to kill Osama bin Laden. Tensions between the US and North Korea have been worsening as Kim refuses to give up his quest for nuclear capable ICBMs. Yesterday, General James Mattis warned the...

ritain is reportedly preparing for the possibility of war breaking out with North Korea as concerns rise that another provocative missile test could trigger a military response by the US. North Korea is being closely watched amid fears it could launch another long-range missile test on Tuesday to mark the anniversary of the founding of its ruling party. Bellicose rhetoric from Donald Trump has heightened tensions in the region in recent months, prompting British officials to draw up military plans for a response to a break out of hostilities, it was reported.

Being nice to Rocket Man hasn't worked in 25 years, why would it work now? Clinton failed, Bush failed, and Obama failed. I won't fail.

This is the way a nuclear war begins. Simulations of a war on the Korean peninsula usually start with a relatively minor incident at the demilitarized zone between South Korea and its hostile northern neighbor, or a provocation that develops into a conventional war and then escalates. President Trump’s threatening posture toward North Korea — most recently exhibited at the United Nations, where he warned that the U.S. could “totally destroy” the country — has prompted military strategists to examine what would actually happen if a war broke out.

North Korean officials have sought meetings with Republican analysts in Washington in an effort to better understand President Trump. The Washington Post reported Tuesday that North Korean government officials have been reaching out to Asia experts with GOP ties since before the recent bout of threats between Trump and Pyongyang broke out. “Their no. 1 concern is Trump," one person familiar with North Korea's outreach told the Post. "They can’t figure him out." In all, Pyongyang has requests out to seven organizations that have helped arrange and host meetings between North Korean officials and Americans in the past. Trump and...

North Korea accuses US of declaring war, says can take countermeasures North Korea's foreign minister on Monday said President Donald Trump had declared war on North Korea and that Pyongyang reserves the right to take countermeasures, including shooting down U.S. strategic bombers even if they are not in the country's air space. "The whole world should clearly remember it was the U.S. who first declared war on our country," Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho told reporters in New York. "Since the United States declared war on our country, we will have every right to make countermeasures, including the right to...

Liberals have welcomed North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to the resistance against President Donald Trump after he released a statement calling Trump a "dotard" and "mentally deranged." "I will surely and definitely tame the mentally deranged U.S. dotard with fire," Kim said. Dotard is an elderly person, especially one who has become weak or senile. Kim added that Trump will "pay dearly" for his remarks before the United Nations on Tuesday warning the U.S. will "totally destroy North Korea" if forced to defend itself or its allies. Human rights organizations consider North Korea under Kim's rule to be one...

THE US has military plans in place to combat North Korea, US Defence Secretary James 'Jim' Mattis has revealed amid escalating tensions over Kim Jong-un’s nuclear and missile advancements. It comes as North Korea test launched another missile over Japan on Friday following an earlier hydrogen bomb test which sparked a 6.3 magnitude earthquake. Mr Mattis said he and his South Korean counterpart had discussed the idea of introducing nuclear weapons to the Korean peninsula but would disclose any further details about the military plans. He added: “Yes there are. But I will not go into details.” Mr Mattis also...

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis hinted that the United States still had military options left for dealing with North Korea, but did not elaborate when asked for details Monday. Most experts think a military strike on North Korea would invite a devastating response from Pyongyang. The city of Seoul, South Korea, home to 25 million, is well within artillery range of the North, which would most likely use conventional artillery munitions and chemical weapons. But according to Mattis, the Pentagon has a few tricks up its sleeve that wouldn't involve the decimation of Seoul.

The US will embark on an aggressive effort to tighten North Korea’s isolation on Monday with a call for an oil embargo and a partial naval blockade. A draft United Nations resolution seen by the Observer would also block textile exports and the hiring of North Korean labour by foreign countries. The American delegation has called for the UN security council to debate the draft, in an attempt to force decisive action following last Sunday’s massive nuclear test of a bomb, Pyongyang’s sixth. The most striking language in the resolution authorises naval vessels of any UN member state to inspect...

The statements come as South Korea’s defence minister has called for the re-establishment of nuclear missiles as a response to Pyongyang’s nuclear tests. Speaking to CNN, Senator McCain said: “Washington needs to make sure that Kim Jong-Un knows that if he acts in an aggressive fashion, the price will be extinction. "The Korean defence minister just a few days ago called for nuclear weapons to be redeployed, it ought to be seriously considered....

I'm not sure what to make of this. Have not yet read the article. Newsmax used to be a reputable source, but I'm not positive of that now. But they're highlighting this on the top of their website. And I believe scheduling a missile launch in about 24 hours.

If the U.S. pre-emptively attacks North Korea, Seoul, the capital of South Korea, and other places in Asia might get blasted in retaliation, but America will have knocked out North Korea's nuclear capability. Right? Wrong – at least in the opinion of a U.S. senior intelligence consultant who worked on a secret study of North Korea's nuclear program for the government and disagrees with widespread intelligence opinion, echoed by the press, that there are no viable options for dealing with North Korea's nuclear threat except negotiations. Dwight R. Rider, 30 years a targeting specialist for the U.S. with a master's...

China on Monday criticized President Donald Trump's threat to cut off U.S. trade with countries that deal with North Korea and rejected pressure to do more to halt the North's nuclear development. Trump issued the threat after North Korea on Sunday exploded a thermonuclear device in its sixth and most powerful nuclear test. The threat was seen as a warning to China, North Korea's main trading partner and only major ally. A foreign ministry spokesman, Geng Shuang, criticized Trump's stance as unfair to Beijing. "What is definitely unacceptable to us is that on the one hand we work so hard...

South Korea says it has seen indications that the North is preparing more missile launches, possibly an intercontinental ballistic missile. It said it was strengthening its controversial US-made Thaad missile defence system after the North's test of a nuclear bomb at the weekend. The South has carried out live-fire exercises in response to the test. The United Nations Security Council is holding an emergency meeting to discuss its response. It last imposed sanctions in August, targeting North Korean exports. Speaking before the meeting, the British ambassador to the UN, Matthew Rycroft, told reporters there were "further sectors of the...

The US envoy to the UN has urged the Security Council to take the "strongest possible measures" against North Korea after its latest nuclear test. "The time has come to exhaust all diplomatic means before it is too late," Nikki Haley told an emergency meeting of the council in New York. She also warned countries which did business with the North that they were aiding their nuclear ambitions. Reports suggest the North is preparing new test missile launches. Ms. Haley said North Korean leader Kim Jong-in had shown through his actions that he was "begging for war"....

Defense Secretary James Mattis on Sunday issued a stark warning to North Korea, saying the country would be met with a "massive military response" if it threatened the U.S. or its allies. "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 meeting with President Trump. "Kim Jong Un should take heed the United Nations Security Council's unified voice. All members unanimously agreed on the threat North Korea poses. And they remain unanimous in their commitment to...