North Korea’s Christmas gift? US ‘prepared for whatever’, says top Pentagon general Mark Milley
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- Defence chief Mark Esper stresses need for diplomacy, but says US ready ‘to fight tonight’ if necessary
The Pentagon’s top general said on Friday that the US military was ready for anything from North Korea in the face of Pyongyang’s ominous promise of a “Christmas gift” if Washington does not act to ease tensions.
“Korea is one of those places in the world where we’ve always maintained high levels of readiness,” said General Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The US alliance with Japan and South Korea is “rock solid”, he said.
“I think it’s prepared to defend the interests of the United States, Japan and South Korea at a moment’s notice,” he told reporters.
Milley declined to say whether US and allied forces in the region had stepped up readiness in the face of the possibility that North Korea could test a new nuclear-capable missile soon.