黑料社

WASHINGTON 鈥� Senior U.S. national security officials said Sunday that a military confrontation with North Korea鈥檚 is not imminent, but they cautioned that the possibility of war is greater than it was a decade ago.

CIA Director Mike Pompeo and Army Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, President Trump鈥檚 national security adviser, tried to provide assurances that a conflict is avoidable, while also supporting Trump鈥檚 tough talk. They said the United States and its allies no longer can afford to stand by as North Korea pushes ahead with the development of a nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missile.

鈥淲e鈥檙e not closer to war than a week ago but we are closer to war than we were a decade ago,鈥� McMaster said, adding that the Trump administration is prepared to deal militarily with North Korea if necessary.

But he stressed that the U.S. is pursuing 鈥渁 very determined diplomatic effort鈥� led by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson that鈥檚 coupled with new financial sanctions to dissuade North Korean leader Kim Jong Un from further provocations.

鈥淭he U.S. military is locked and loaded every day,鈥� McMaster said, repeating Trump鈥檚 threat.

Pompeo said 鈥渢here鈥檚 nothing imminent today,鈥� in response to a question about how worried should people be over the escalating tensions. He said the U.S. has a 鈥減retty good idea鈥� of North Korea鈥檚 intentions, but Pompeo declined to provide specifics. The CIA chief described Kim as 鈥渞ational鈥� and responsive to 鈥渁dverse circumstances.鈥�

鈥淭he reaction in North Korea that we are intending to get is an is an understanding that America is no longer going to have the strategic patience that it鈥檚 had that has permitted him to continue to develop his weapons program,鈥� Pompeo said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 that straightforward.鈥�

The top U.S. military officer, Marine Corps Gen. Joseph Dunford, is traveling in Asia and expected to meet with leaders in South Korea, Japan and China. Dunford, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters traveling with him that he aims to 鈥渟ense what the temperature is in the region.鈥� He also will discuss military options in the event the 鈥渄iplomatic and economic pressurization campaign鈥� fails.

鈥淲e鈥檙e all looking to get out of this situation without a war,鈥� Dunford said.

China鈥檚 president, Xi Jinping, made a plea for cool-headedness in a phone conversation with Trump on Saturday, urging both sides to avoid words or actions that could worsen the situation.

The call came after Trump made fresh threats against North Korea on Friday, declaring the U.S. military 鈥渓ocked and loaded鈥� and warning Kim that he 鈥渨ill regret it fast鈥� if he takes any action against U.S. territories or allies.

Trump has pushed China to pressure North Korea to halt a nuclear weapons program that is nearing the capability of targeting the United States. China is the North鈥檚 biggest economic partner and source of aid, but says it alone can鈥檛 compel its wayward ally to end its nuclear and missile programs.

The White House said in a statement that Trump and Xi 鈥渁greed North Korea must stop its provocative and escalatory behavior.鈥�

It also said that the two 鈥渞eiterated their mutual commitment to denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.鈥�

State-run China Central Television quoted Xi as telling Trump the 鈥渞elevant parties must maintain restraint and avoid words and deeds that would exacerbate the tension on the Korean Peninsula.鈥�

But Trump on Friday appeared to set another red line 鈥� the mere utterance of threats 鈥� that would trigger a U.S. attack against North Korea and 鈥渂ig, big trouble鈥� for Kim.

North Korea鈥檚 Minju Joson newspaper said in an editorial Saturday that the North鈥檚 army is 鈥渃apable of fighting any war the U.S. wants.鈥�

The tough talk capped a week in which long-standing tensions between the countries risked abruptly boiling over.

New U.N. sanctions condemning North Korea鈥檚 rapidly developing nuclear program drew fresh ire and threats from the North.

Trump, responding to a report that U.S. intelligence indicates Pyongyang can now put a nuclear warhead on its long-range missiles, vowed to rain down 鈥渇ire and fury鈥� if challenged.

The North then came out with a threat to lob four intermediate-range 鈥淗wasong-12鈥� missiles near Guam, a tiny U.S. territory some 2,000 miles (3,200 kilometers) from the North鈥檚 capital, Pyongyang.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., welcomed Trump鈥檚 pugnacious approach, arguing that many of the president鈥檚 critics failed to stop North Korea from developing a nuclear weapon that could hit the United States.

鈥淧resident Trump inherited a mess,鈥� Graham said. 鈥淎ll those smart people who are criticizing his rhetoric and his policy, how well did you do?鈥�

Pompeo and Graham were on 鈥淔ox 黑料社 Sunday,鈥� and McMaster appeared on ABC鈥檚 鈥淭his Week.鈥�