\u201cStorm clouds are gathering\u201d over the Korean Peninsula, Defence Secretary Jim Mattis declared on Saturday. And as diplomats try to resolve the nuclear standoff, he told soldiers that the US military must do its part by being ready for war.<\/p>\n
Without forecasting a conflict, Mattis emphasised that diplomacy stands the best chance of preventing a war if America\u2019s words are backed up by strong and prepared armed forces.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy fine young soldiers, the only way our diplomats can speak with authority and be believed is if you\u2019re ready to go,\u201d Mattis told several dozen soldiers and airmen at the 82nd Airborne Division\u2019s Hall of Heroes, his last stop on a two-day pre-holiday tour of bases to greet troops.<\/p>\n
Mattis\u2019 comments came as the UN Security Council unanimously approved tough new sanctions against North Korea, compelling nations to sharply reduce their sales of oil to the reclusive country and send home all North Korean expatriate workers within two years. Such workers are seen as a key source of revenue for North Korean leader Kim Jong Un\u2019s cash- strapped government.<\/p>\n
President Donald Trump and other top U.S. officials have made repeated threats about U.S. military action. Some officials have described the messaging as twofold in purpose: to pressure North Korea to enter into negotiations on getting rid of its nuclear arsenal, and to motivate key regional powers China and Russia to put more pressure on Pyongyang so a war is averted.<\/p>\n
For the military, the focus has been on ensuring soldiers are ready should the call come.<\/p>\n
At Fort Bragg, Mattis recommended the troops read T.R. Fehrenbach\u2019s military classic \u201cThis Kind of War: A Study in Unpreparedness,\u201d first published in 1963, a decade after the Korean War ended.<\/p>\n
\u201cKnowing what went wrong the last time around is as important as knowing your own testing, so that you\u2019re forewarned – you know what I\u2019m driving at here,\u201d he said as soldiers listened in silence. \u201cSo you gotta be ready.\u201d The US has nearly 28,000 troops permanently stationed in South Korea, but if war came, many thousands more would be needed for a wide range of missions, including ground combat.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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