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Tillerson Says Threat Of North Korean Nuclear Attack On South Korea, Japan Is 'Real'

RFE/RL April 28, 2017

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has told the United Nations the threat of a North Korean nuclear strike on Seoul or Tokyo "is real" and that failure to act may bring "catastrophic consequences."

In a speech to the UN Security Council on April 28, Tillerson called on UN members to strengthen financial sanctions against North Korea or downgrade their diplomatic relations with Pyongyang in response to the regime's illegal nuclear and ballistic-weapons programs.

He said North Korea has undertaken a "dangerous" course of action for years and that it is time for "us to retake control of the situation."

"For the past 20 years, well-intentioned diplomatic efforts to halt these [weapons] programs have failed," Tillerson told the Security Council.

"In light of the growing threat, the time has come for all of us to put new pressure on North Korea to abandon its dangerous path," he said.

Tillerson called on UN members to live up to their commitments related to sanctions against North Korea, as well as to increase the country's financial isolation by imposing new sanctions and tightening those already in place.

He said diplomatic efforts are preferred, but he also expressed the willingness of the United States to take military action, if necessary, to counter North Korean aggression.

All options to respond to "further provocations must remain on the table," Tillerson said.

The U.S. secretary of state also called on China, Pyongyang's main ally, to assist in efforts to keep North Korea's weapons program in check, saying, "We look forward to further actions to what China has already done."

On April 27, Tillerson said on Fox News that China has threatened to impose sanctions on North Korea if it conducts further nuclear tests.

He said China was "in communication with the regime in Pyongyang" and had "confirmed to us that they had requested the regime conduct no further nuclear tests."

Tillerson said Beijing also told Washington it had informed North Korea that "if they did conduct further nuclear tests, China would be taking sanctions actions on their own."

Also on April 27, U.S. President Donald Trump told Reuters that "a major, major conflict with North Korea" could occur, though he prefers a diplomatic solution.

"We'd love to solve things diplomatically, but it's very difficult," Trump said.

Pyongyang's nuclear and ballistic-missile programs have been banned by the United Nations.

Tensions have risen on the Korean Peninsula with harsh words between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov said after Tillerson's speech on April 28 that increased rhetoric and "reckless muscle-flexing" regarding North Korea could lead to missteps and "frightening consequences."

In a briefing with U.S. senators on April 26, senior officials in Trump's administration said their goal is to push North Korea into dismantling its weapons programs through tougher international sanctions and diplomatic pressure.

Despite repeated warnings to Pyongyang suggesting Washington was considering military action, the officials told the senators at the unusual White House briefing that they hope to avoid a military response and that the administration remains open to negotiations with Pyongyang.

Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/tillerson-north-korea-un-security-council/28457803.html

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Tillerson Says Threat Of North Korean Nuclear Attack On South Korea, Japan Is 'Real'