Top US officer warns NKorea that military ready

Published On: August 14, 2017 06:26 PM NPT By: Associated Press

Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Joseph Dunford speaks at a news conference at U.S. Army Garrison Yongsan, Seoul, South Korea, Monday, Aug. 14, 2017. The top U.S. military officer is warning during a trip to Seoul that the United States is ready to use the "full range" of its military capabilities to defend itself and its allies from North Korea. A spokesman says Marine Corps Gen. Dunford also told his South Korean counterparts Monday that the North's missiles and nukes threaten the world. (AP)

WASHINGTON, August 14: The top U.S. military officer says the United States wants to peacefully resolve a deepening standoff with North Korea but is also ready to use the "full range" of its military capabilities in case of provocation.

The comments by Marine Corps Gen. Joseph Dunford in meetings Monday with senior South Korean military and political officials appeared to be an attempt to ease anxiety over tit-for-tat threats between President Donald Trump and North Korea while also showing a willingness to back up Trump's warnings if necessary.

Dunford, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that the U.S. is "seeking a peaceful resolution to the crisis."

Dunford is visiting South Korea, Japan and China after a week in which Trump said he was ready to unleash "fire and fury" if North Korea continued to threaten the United States.