The President of United States, Donald Trump escalated his threats against
North Korea over its nuclear challenge on Tuesday, threatening to “totally
destroy’’ the country of 26 million people and mocking its leader, Kim Jong Un,
as a “rocket man.”
In a hard-edged speech to the UN General Assembly, Trump
offered a grim portrait of a world in peril, adopted a more confrontational
approach to solving global challenges from Iran to Venezuela, and gave an
unabashed defense of U.S. sovereignty.
“The United States has great strength and patience, but if
it is forced to defend itself or its allies, we will have no choice but to
totally destroy North Korea,” Trump told the 193-member world body, sticking
closely to a script.
Trump, as loud, startled murmurs filled the hall, described
Kim in an acid tone, saying, “rocket man is on a suicide mission for himself
and his regime.”
His remarks rattled the leaders gathered in the
green-marbled UN General Assembly hall, where minutes earlier UN
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed for statesmanship, adding that they
must not sleepwalk their way into war.
Trump’s most direct military threat to attack North Korea,
in his debut appearance at the General Assembly, was his latest expression of
concern about Pyongyang’s repeated launching of ballistic missiles over Japan
and underground nuclear tests.
His advisers say he is concerned about North Korea’s
advances in missile technology and the few means available for a peaceful
response without China’s help.
One man in the audience covered his face with his hands
shortly after Trump made his “totally destroy’’ comment.
Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom told newsmen that
it was the wrong speech, at the wrong time, to the wrong audience.
“North Korea’s mission to the UN did not immediately respond
to a request for comment,’’ the North Korean UN mission said.
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