Senior US national security officials do their best to walk back President Donald Trump’s threats to unleash ‘fire and fury’ against North Korea
The US hasn’t taken any public steps to prepare for hostilities, including evacuating Americans from Seoul, which is within range of North Korean artillery
Two top US national security officials sought to tamp down fears of imminent nuclear war with North Korea following days of heightened rhetoric by US President Donald Trump, as America’s top general prepared to meet with South Korea’s leader.
Walking a fine line of backing the tough talk directed at Pyongyang, but not wanting to raise the alarm at home, CIA director Mike Pompeo and national security adviser H.R. McMaster, in separate Sunday talk show appearances, said there was no indication war will break out.
“I’ve heard folks talking about that we’re on the cusp of a nuclear war,” Pompeo said on Fox News Sunday. “I’ve seen no intelligence that would indicate that we’re in that place today.”
The nation’s intelligence watchers – who have monitored recent intercontinental missile tests and North Korea’s improved ability to manufacture nuclear weapons – “have a pretty good idea” about their near-term intentions, Pompeo said.
Watch: Trump escalates rhetoric against North Korea
McMaster, appearing on ABC’s This Week, said “we’re not closer to war than a week ago, but we are closer to war than we were a decade ago”.