Vice President Mike Pence delivered a stark warning to North Korea, while visiting an Air Force base critical to American nuclear capabilities, Politico reports.
“Our enemies should never doubt the capabilities of the Armed Forces of the United States of America,” Pence told servicemen and women at North Dakota’s Minot Air Force Base, home to 26 B-52 bombers and 150 intercontinental ballistic missile sites.
“Anyone who would threaten our nation should know that America always seeks peace, but if we are forced to defend ourselves or our allies, we will do so with military power that is effective and overwhelming,” Pence said, adding that the arsenal at Minot is “that credible deterrent that has assured the security of the American people for generations.”
“Now, more than ever, your commander in chief is depending on you to be ready,” Pence noted. His remarks come just days before President Donald Trump is set to take a trip to Asia that will include a visit to South Korea, where Defense Secretary James Mattis traveled Friday to visit the DMZ.
Mattis reaffirmed American support for diplomatic efforts to resolve tensions with North Korea over its efforts to expand its nuclear capabilities, Politico adds.
The administration successfully pushed for a new round of sanctions on the regime of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un, and top administration officials including Pence have traveled to the region to show solidarity with allies. Mattis will be joined on Saturday in South Korea by General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, for consultations with South Korean counterparts, Politico informs.
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