North Korea slammed US President Donald Trump as &quot;incurably mentally deranged&quot; in a personal diatribe ahead of his first visit to Asia as head of state, amid high tensions over Pyongyang&#39;s nuclear ambitions.

Trump and the North&#39;s leader Kim Jong-Un have traded threats of war and personal insults against each other in recent months, heightening worries about a potential conflict on the divided Korean peninsula.

Trump has warned of &quot;fire and fury&quot; and &quot;calm before the storm&quot;, telling the UN General Assembly that Washington would &quot;totally destroy North Korea&quot; if it had to defend itself or its allies.

He dubbed Kim &quot;Rocket Man&quot; in the same speech -&nbsp;Pyongyang has tested missiles apparently capable of reaching much of the US mainland -&nbsp;and days later Kim responded with a personal statement calling Trump a &quot;dotard&quot;, an obscure term for a weak or senile old man.

The US president is due in Asia at the weekend and ahead of his arrival the North&#39;s state-run KCNA news agency lashed out at &quot;bellicose and irresponsible rhetoric&quot; by the &quot;master of invective&quot;.

&quot;He absolutely needs medicine for curing his psychical disorder,&quot; it said.

The US has deployed key military assets including jet fighters and aircraft carriers near the peninsula following the North&#39;s sixth nuclear test in September, which also saw the United Nations impose an eighth set of sanctions on the isolated country.

KCNA described the sanctions drive as &quot;desperate efforts&quot; that would prove ineffective and Trump&#39;s hostile rhetoric as &quot;hysteric spasmodic symptoms&quot;.

Trump, it said late yesterday, &quot;disclosed his true nature as a nuclear war maniac before the world and was diagnosed as &#39;incurably mentally deranged&#39;&quot;.

Trump&#39;s itinerary includes Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines, with all eyes on his message to the North and Kim.

Pyongyang says it needs nuclear weapons to defend itself against possible invasion by the US.

During a November 7-8 visit to the South -&nbsp;a security ally of Washington that hosts 28,500 US troops - Trump is due to address Seoul&#39;s parliament and visit a US military base, although he will not go to the Demilitarised Zone that divides the Koreas.

Trump and the North's leader Kim Jong-Un have traded threats of war and personal insults against each other in recent months, heightening worries about a potential conflict on the divided Korean peninsula.

North Korea slammed US President Donald Trump as "incurably mentally deranged" in a personal diatribe ahead of his first visit to Asia as head of state, amid high tensions over Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions. Trump and the North's leader Kim Jong-Un have traded threats of war and personal insults against each other in recent months, heightening worries about a potential conflict on the divided Korean peninsula. Trump has warned of "fire and fury" and "calm before the storm", telling the UN General Assembly that Washington would "totally destroy North Korea" if it had to defend itself or its allies. He dubbed Kim "Rocket Man" in the same speech - Pyongyang has tested missiles apparently capable of reaching much of the US mainland - and days later Kim responded with a personal statement calling Trump a "dotard", an obscure term for a weak or senile old man. The US president is due in Asia at the weekend and ahead of his arrival the North's state-run KCNA news agency lashed out at "bellicose and irresponsible rhetoric" by the "master of invective". "He absolutely needs medicine for curing his psychical disorder," it said. The US has deployed key military assets including jet fighters and aircraft carriers near the peninsula following the North's sixth nuclear test in September, which also saw the United Nations impose an eighth set of sanctions on the isolated country. KCNA described the sanctions drive as "desperate efforts" that would prove ineffective and Trump's hostile rhetoric as "hysteric spasmodic symptoms". Trump, it said late yesterday, "disclosed his true nature as a nuclear war maniac before the world and was diagnosed as 'incurably mentally deranged'". Trump's itinerary includes Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines, with all eyes on his message to the North and Kim. Pyongyang says it needs nuclear weapons to defend itself against possible invasion by the US. During a November 7-8 visit to the South - a security ally of Washington that hosts 28,500 US troops - Trump is due to address Seoul's parliament and visit a US military base, although he will not go to the Demilitarised Zone that divides the Koreas.

North Korea slams 'incurably mentally deranged' Trump

Washington`s goal &quot;is not war&quot; as it seeks to ease high military tension with Pyongyang, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-china-plan-to-act-together-against-dangerous-north-korea-13536">US Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis </a>said Friday, standing at the heavily-fortified border between the two Koreas.

Tension has flared on the Korean peninsula as US President Donald Trump and the North`s ruler Kim Jong-Un have traded threats of war and personal insults that sparked global alarm.

But Mattis, who visited the tense Demilitarised Zone during a trip to South Korea, said the US was committed to a &quot;diplomatic solution&quot;.

&quot;As the US Secretary of State Tillerson made clear, our goal is not war but rather the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula,&quot; he said in the truce village of Panmunjom.

Mattis also stressed he and his South Korean counterpart Song Young-Moo had &quot;made clear our mutual commitment to a diplomatic solution to address North Korea`s reckless, outlaw behaviour&quot;.

The remark came a day after Mattis had said Washington was &quot;not rushing to war&quot; and was looking for a &quot;peaceful resolution&quot;.

He is set to hold annual defence talks with Song on Saturday during the two-day trip, which comes ahead of a planned trip by Trump to the South -- a key US ally in Asia -- next month.

Trump is set to visit Seoul from November 7 to 8 with all eyes on his message to the North and Kim.&nbsp;

The isolated North carried out its sixth nuclear test last month and has launched several missiles in recent months potentially capable of reaching the mainland of its &quot;imperialist enemy&quot; the US.&nbsp;

The moves staged in violation of UN resolutions banning the North from any use of atomic and ballistic technology, prompted new US-led UN sanctions against the impoverished state.&nbsp;

Pyongyang reacted angrily to new sanctions, and Trump`s recent remark that &quot;only one thing will work&quot; with the North fuelled concerns of a potential conflict.

But even some Trump advisers say US military options are limited when Pyongyang could launch an artillery barrage on the South Korean capital Seoul -- only around 50 kilometres from the border and home to 10 million people. 
The North says its atomic weapons are &quot;treasured sword&quot; to protect itself from potential invasion by the US.

"As the US Secretary of State Tillerson made clear, our goal is not war but rather the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula," Mattis said in the truce village of Panmunjom.

Washington`s goal "is not war" as it seeks to ease high military tension with Pyongyang, US Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis said Friday, standing at the heavily-fortified border between the two Koreas. Tension has flared on the Korean peninsula as US President Donald Trump and the North`s ruler Kim Jong-Un have traded threats of war and personal insults that sparked global alarm. But Mattis, who visited the tense Demilitarised Zone during a trip to South Korea, said the US was committed to a "diplomatic solution". "As the US Secretary of State Tillerson made clear, our goal is not war but rather the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula," he said in the truce village of Panmunjom. Mattis also stressed he and his South Korean counterpart Song Young-Moo had "made clear our mutual commitment to a diplomatic solution to address North Korea`s reckless, outlaw behaviour". The remark came a day after Mattis had said Washington was "not rushing to war" and was looking for a "peaceful resolution". He is set to hold annual defence talks with Song on Saturday during the two-day trip, which comes ahead of a planned trip by Trump to the South -- a key US ally in Asia -- next month. Trump is set to visit Seoul from November 7 to 8 with all eyes on his message to the North and Kim. The isolated North carried out its sixth nuclear test last month and has launched several missiles in recent months potentially capable of reaching the mainland of its "imperialist enemy" the US. The moves staged in violation of UN resolutions banning the North from any use of atomic and ballistic technology, prompted new US-led UN sanctions against the impoverished state. Pyongyang reacted angrily to new sanctions, and Trump`s recent remark that "only one thing will work" with the North fuelled concerns of a potential conflict. But even some Trump advisers say US military options are limited when Pyongyang could launch an artillery barrage on the South Korean capital Seoul -- only around 50 kilometres from the border and home to 10 million people. The North says its atomic weapons are "treasured sword" to protect itself from potential invasion by the US.

Our goal is not war but denuclearisation of Korean peninsula: Jim Mattis

South Korean and Japanese jets joined exercises with two supersonic US&nbsp;B-1B bombers above and near the Korean peninsula on Thursday, two days after North Korea fired a missile over Japan, sharply raising tension.

The drills, involving four U.S. stealth F-35B jets as well as South Korean and Japanese fighter jets, came at the end of annual joint US-South Korea military exercises focused mainly on computer simulations.

&quot;North Korea&#39;s actions are a threat to our allies, partners and homeland, and their destabilizing actions will be met accordingly,&quot;&nbsp;said General Terrence J&nbsp;O&#39;Shaughnessy, Pacific Air Forces commander, who made an unscheduled visit to Japan.

&quot;This complex mission clearly demonstrates our solidarity with our allies and underscores the broadening cooperation to defend against this common regional threat. Our forward deployed force will be the first to the fight, ready to deliver a lethal response at a moment&rsquo;s notice if our nation calls.&quot;

North Korea has made no secret of its intention to develop the knowhow to launch a nuclear-tipped missile at the United States and has recently threatened the US Pacific territory of Guam. It denounced the US&nbsp;exercises in traditionally robust fashion.

&quot;The US&nbsp;imperialists and the south Korean puppet forces do not hide their bellicose nature, claiming that the exercises are to &quot;counter&quot;&nbsp;the DPRK&#39;s ballistic rocket launches and nuclear weapons development,&quot; the North&#39;s KCNA news agency said, referring to North Korea by its official name, the Democratic People&#39;s Republic of Korea (DPRK).

&quot;But the wild military acts of the enemies are nothing but the rash act of those taken aback by the intermediate-to-long range strategic ballistic rocket launching drill conducted by the army of the DPRK as the first military operation in the Pacific.&quot;

US President Donald Trump has warned North Korea it would face &quot;fire and fury&quot; if it threatened the United States and that the US&nbsp;military was &quot;locked and loaded&quot; in case of any provocation.

Trump on Wednesday declared &quot;talking is not the answer&quot; to resolving the long-standing impasse.

&quot;The US&nbsp;has been talking to North Korea, and paying them extortion money, for 25 years,&quot; Trump, who last week said North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was &quot;starting to respect&quot; the United States, wrote on Twitter.

&quot;Talking is not the answer!&quot;

However, US&nbsp;Defence Secretary Jim Mattis, when asked by reporters just hours later if the United States had run out of diplomatic solutions with North Korea, replied: &quot;No.&quot;

&quot;We are never out of diplomatic solutions,&quot; Mattis said before a meeting with his South Korean counterpart at the Pentagon. &quot;We continue to work together, and the minister and I share a responsibility to provide for the protection of our nations, our populations and our interests.&quot;

Japanese Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera spoke to Mattis by telephone and agreed to keep putting pressure on North Korea in a &quot;visible&quot; form, Japan&#39;s defence ministry said. Japanese Prime Shinzo Abe said he and visiting British Prime Minister Theresa May agreed to urge China, North Korea&#39;s lone major ally, to do more to rein in the North.

They also discussed the possibility of adopting a new UN&nbsp;Security Council resolution over North Korea, a British government source said.

The 15-member Security Council on Tuesday condemned the firing of an intermediate range ballistic missile over Japan as &quot;outrageous&quot; and demanded that North Korea halt its weapons programme, but the U.S.-drafted statement did not threaten new sanctions.

Japan was pushing the United States to propose new UN&nbsp;Security Council sanctions, which diplomats said could target North Korea&#39;s labourers working abroad, oil supply and textile exports.

Diplomats expected resistance from Russia and fellow veto-wielding power China, particularly given new measures were only recently imposed after North Korea staged two long-range missile launches in July.

A US&nbsp;ban on travel to North Korea comes into effect on Friday, curbing one of its few remaining supplies of foreign currency.

China again urged restraint from all parties.

Defence ministry spokesman Ren Guoqiang told a monthly briefing that China would never allow war or chaos on the Korean peninsula, its doorstep, and military means were not an option.

&quot;China strongly demands all sides to exercise restraint and remain calm and not do anything to worsen tensions,&quot; Ren said, adding that Chinese forces were maintaining a normal state of alert along the North Korean border.

Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said the situation on the peninsula was serious.

&quot;I also want to stress that the current tense situation on the peninsula isn&#39;t a screenplay or a video game,&quot; she told reporters.

&quot;It&#39;s real, and is an immense and serious issue that directly involves the safety of people from both the north and south of the peninsula, as well as peace and stability of the entire region.&quot;

The Pentagon&#39;s Missile Defense Agency and the crew of the guided-missile destroyer USS John Paul Jones conducted a &quot;complex missile defence flight test&quot; off Hawaii on Wednesday, resulting in the intercept of a medium-range ballistic missile target, the agency said.

The agency&#39;s director, Lieutenant General Sam Greaves, called the test &quot;a key milestone&quot; in giving U.S. Navy Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense ships an enhanced capability, but did not mention North Korea.

The United States and South Korea are technically still at war with North Korea because their 1950-53 conflict ended in a truce, not a peace treaty.

North Korea routinely says it will never give up its weapons programmes, calling them necessary to counter perceived American hostility. 
&nbsp;

South Korean and Japanese jets joined exercises with two supersonic US?B-1B bombers above and near the Korean peninsula

South Korean and Japanese jets joined exercises with two supersonic US B-1B bombers above and near the Korean peninsula on Thursday, two days after North Korea fired a missile over Japan, sharply raising tension. The drills, involving four U.S. stealth F-35B jets as well as South Korean and Japanese fighter jets, came at the end of annual joint US-South Korea military exercises focused mainly on computer simulations. "North Korea's actions are a threat to our allies, partners and homeland, and their destabilizing actions will be met accordingly," said General Terrence J O'Shaughnessy, Pacific Air Forces commander, who made an unscheduled visit to Japan. "This complex mission clearly demonstrates our solidarity with our allies and underscores the broadening cooperation to defend against this common regional threat. Our forward deployed force will be the first to the fight, ready to deliver a lethal response at a moment’s notice if our nation calls." North Korea has made no secret of its intention to develop the knowhow to launch a nuclear-tipped missile at the United States and has recently threatened the US Pacific territory of Guam. It denounced the US exercises in traditionally robust fashion. "The US imperialists and the south Korean puppet forces do not hide their bellicose nature, claiming that the exercises are to "counter" the DPRK's ballistic rocket launches and nuclear weapons development," the North's KCNA news agency said, referring to North Korea by its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). "But the wild military acts of the enemies are nothing but the rash act of those taken aback by the intermediate-to-long range strategic ballistic rocket launching drill conducted by the army of the DPRK as the first military operation in the Pacific." US President Donald Trump has warned North Korea it would face "fire and fury" if it threatened the United States and that the US military was "locked and loaded" in case of any provocation. Trump on Wednesday declared "talking is not the answer" to resolving the long-standing impasse. "The US has been talking to North Korea, and paying them extortion money, for 25 years," Trump, who last week said North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was "starting to respect" the United States, wrote on Twitter. "Talking is not the answer!" However, US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis, when asked by reporters just hours later if the United States had run out of diplomatic solutions with North Korea, replied: "No." "We are never out of diplomatic solutions," Mattis said before a meeting with his South Korean counterpart at the Pentagon. "We continue to work together, and the minister and I share a responsibility to provide for the protection of our nations, our populations and our interests." Japanese Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera spoke to Mattis by telephone and agreed to keep putting pressure on North Korea in a "visible" form, Japan's defence ministry said. Japanese Prime Shinzo Abe said he and visiting British Prime Minister Theresa May agreed to urge China, North Korea's lone major ally, to do more to rein in the North. They also discussed the possibility of adopting a new UN Security Council resolution over North Korea, a British government source said. The 15-member Security Council on Tuesday condemned the firing of an intermediate range ballistic missile over Japan as "outrageous" and demanded that North Korea halt its weapons programme, but the U.S.-drafted statement did not threaten new sanctions. Japan was pushing the United States to propose new UN Security Council sanctions, which diplomats said could target North Korea's labourers working abroad, oil supply and textile exports. Diplomats expected resistance from Russia and fellow veto-wielding power China, particularly given new measures were only recently imposed after North Korea staged two long-range missile launches in July. A US ban on travel to North Korea comes into effect on Friday, curbing one of its few remaining supplies of foreign currency. China again urged restraint from all parties. Defence ministry spokesman Ren Guoqiang told a monthly briefing that China would never allow war or chaos on the Korean peninsula, its doorstep, and military means were not an option. "China strongly demands all sides to exercise restraint and remain calm and not do anything to worsen tensions," Ren said, adding that Chinese forces were maintaining a normal state of alert along the North Korean border. Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said the situation on the peninsula was serious. "I also want to stress that the current tense situation on the peninsula isn't a screenplay or a video game," she told reporters. "It's real, and is an immense and serious issue that directly involves the safety of people from both the north and south of the peninsula, as well as peace and stability of the entire region." The Pentagon's Missile Defense Agency and the crew of the guided-missile destroyer USS John Paul Jones conducted a "complex missile defence flight test" off Hawaii on Wednesday, resulting in the intercept of a medium-range ballistic missile target, the agency said. The agency's director, Lieutenant General Sam Greaves, called the test "a key milestone" in giving U.S. Navy Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense ships an enhanced capability, but did not mention North Korea. The United States and South Korea are technically still at war with North Korea because their 1950-53 conflict ended in a truce, not a peace treaty. North Korea routinely says it will never give up its weapons programmes, calling them necessary to counter perceived American hostility.

US bombers carry out drill over Korean peninsula after latest North Korea missile launch

The Japanese Self Defence Force (JSDF) and Third Division US Marines, took part in a live-fire joint exercise on Wednesday (Aug 16) in the northern Japanese city of Eniwa, Hokkaido, as part of Northern Viper 17-- the largest-scale military drill to be held between the two countries.

The exercise was also the first to be held in Hokkaido, as an effort to strengthen the US-Japan alliance by training together on unfamiliar ground.

Although the drills are not related to the latest tension on the Korean peninsula, it is taking place as unease between North Korea and the US are escalating and with US troops based in Okinawa, where the bulk of US forces in the region are based.

The 18-day live fire exercise which include rocket artillery drills and live-fire operations, will run through August 28 and will involve 3,500 troops.

Although the drills are not related to the latest tension on the Korean peninsula, it is taking place as unease between North Korea and the US are escalating

The Japanese Self Defence Force (JSDF) and Third Division US Marines, took part in a live-fire joint exercise on Wednesday (Aug 16) in the northern Japanese city of Eniwa, Hokkaido, as part of Northern Viper 17-- the largest-scale military drill to be held between the two countries. The exercise was also the first to be held in Hokkaido, as an effort to strengthen the US-Japan alliance by training together on unfamiliar ground. Although the drills are not related to the latest tension on the Korean peninsula, it is taking place as unease between North Korea and the US are escalating and with US troops based in Okinawa, where the bulk of US forces in the region are based. The 18-day live fire exercise which include rocket artillery drills and live-fire operations, will run through August 28 and will involve 3,500 troops.

US, Japan conduct joint military drill in Hokkaido

Chinese President Xi Jinping called for all sides to exercise restraint on Monday in a call with US&nbsp;President Donald Trump, as a nervous South Korea and Japan sought to join drills with a U.S. aircraft carrier strike group headed for Korean waters.

Reclusive North Korea said at the weekend it was ready to sink the US&nbsp;aircraft carrier, the USS Carl Vinson, which Trump had ordered to waters off the Korean peninsula as a warning to the nuclear-armed North.

Japan said on Sunday it had sent two Japanese destroyers to join the carrier group for drills, and South Korea said it was also in talks about holding joint naval exercises.

China is increasingly worried the situation may spin out of control, leading to war and a chaotic collapse of its isolated and poverty-struck neighbour.

Xi told Trump that China resolutely opposes any actions that run counter to UN&nbsp;Security Council resolutions, a Chinese foreign ministry statement said.

China &quot;hopes that all relevant sides exercise restraint, and avoid doing anything to worsen the tense situation on the peninsula&quot;, the statement paraphrased Xi as saying.

The nuclear issue can only be resolved quickly with all relevant countries pulling in the same direction, and China is willing to work with all parties, including the United States, to ensure peace, Xi said.

Tensions have risen sharply in recent months, with Washington and its allies fearing Pyongyang could conduct another nuclear missile test or launch more ballistic missiles in defiance of United Nations sanctions.

North Korea celebrates the 85th anniversary of the foundation of its Korean People`s Army on Tuesday, and has marked similar events in the past with nuclear tests or missile launches.

&#39;Repeated Provocation&#39; 
Earlier, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe described his conversation with Trump as a &quot;thorough exchange of views&quot;.

&quot;We agreed to strongly demand that North Korea, which is repeating its provocation, show restraint,&quot; Abe told reporters.

&quot;We will maintain close contact with the United States, keep a high level of vigilance and respond firmly,&quot; he said.

Abe also said he and Trump agreed that China, North Korea`s sole major ally, should play a large role in dealing with Pyongyang.

A Japanese official said the phone call between Trump and Abe was not prompted by any specific change in the situation.

The US&nbsp;government has not specified where the carrier strike group is, but U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said on Saturday it would arrive &quot;within days&quot;.

South Korean Defence Ministry spokesman Moon Sang-gyun gave no further details about the South`s plans, other than saying Seoul was holding discussions with the US Navy.

&quot;I can say the South Korean and US militaries are fully ready for North Korea`s nuclear test,&quot; Moon said.

 
South Korean and U.S. officials have feared for some time that North Korea could soon carry out its sixth nuclear test.

Satellite imagery analysed by 38 North, a Washington-based North Korea monitoring project, found some activity under way at North Korea`s Punggye-ri nuclear test site last week.

However, the group said it was unclear whether the site was in a &quot;tactical pause&quot; before another test or was carrying out normal operations.

Adding to the heightened tensions, North Korea detained a U.S. citizen on Saturday as he attempted to leave the country.

(Reuters)

&nbsp;

China is increasingly worried the situation may spin out of control, and lead to war

Chinese President Xi Jinping called for all sides to exercise restraint on Monday in a call with US President Donald Trump, as a nervous South Korea and Japan sought to join drills with a U.S. aircraft carrier strike group headed for Korean waters. Reclusive North Korea said at the weekend it was ready to sink the US aircraft carrier, the USS Carl Vinson, which Trump had ordered to waters off the Korean peninsula as a warning to the nuclear-armed North. Japan said on Sunday it had sent two Japanese destroyers to join the carrier group for drills, and South Korea said it was also in talks about holding joint naval exercises. China is increasingly worried the situation may spin out of control, leading to war and a chaotic collapse of its isolated and poverty-struck neighbour. Xi told Trump that China resolutely opposes any actions that run counter to UN Security Council resolutions, a Chinese foreign ministry statement said. China "hopes that all relevant sides exercise restraint, and avoid doing anything to worsen the tense situation on the peninsula", the statement paraphrased Xi as saying. The nuclear issue can only be resolved quickly with all relevant countries pulling in the same direction, and China is willing to work with all parties, including the United States, to ensure peace, Xi said. Tensions have risen sharply in recent months, with Washington and its allies fearing Pyongyang could conduct another nuclear missile test or launch more ballistic missiles in defiance of United Nations sanctions. North Korea celebrates the 85th anniversary of the foundation of its Korean People`s Army on Tuesday, and has marked similar events in the past with nuclear tests or missile launches. 'Repeated Provocation' Earlier, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe described his conversation with Trump as a "thorough exchange of views". "We agreed to strongly demand that North Korea, which is repeating its provocation, show restraint," Abe told reporters. "We will maintain close contact with the United States, keep a high level of vigilance and respond firmly," he said. Abe also said he and Trump agreed that China, North Korea`s sole major ally, should play a large role in dealing with Pyongyang. A Japanese official said the phone call between Trump and Abe was not prompted by any specific change in the situation. The US government has not specified where the carrier strike group is, but U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said on Saturday it would arrive "within days". South Korean Defence Ministry spokesman Moon Sang-gyun gave no further details about the South`s plans, other than saying Seoul was holding discussions with the US Navy. "I can say the South Korean and US militaries are fully ready for North Korea`s nuclear test," Moon said. South Korean and U.S. officials have feared for some time that North Korea could soon carry out its sixth nuclear test. Satellite imagery analysed by 38 North, a Washington-based North Korea monitoring project, found some activity under way at North Korea`s Punggye-ri nuclear test site last week. However, the group said it was unclear whether the site was in a "tactical pause" before another test or was carrying out normal operations. Adding to the heightened tensions, North Korea detained a U.S. citizen on Saturday as he attempted to leave the country. (Reuters)

China's Xi calls Trump as carrier heads for Korea, calls for restraint

Underscoring conflicting view in the Obama administration on the policy regarding denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, the director of US National Intelligence James Clapper on Tuesday said that he did not think the policy that Washington had stuck to was realistic.&nbsp;

He said the US policy of trying to persuade North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons &quot;is probably a lost cause&quot; and the best they could hope for is a cap on the country&#39;s nuclear capability.&nbsp;

However, the US state department maintained that the policy on the North had unchanged and the US will continue to seek the &quot;verifiable denuclearisation&quot; of the Korean peninsula.

Disagreeing with the US spy chief, the department spokesman John Kirby said he had not seen Clapper&#39;s remarks but insisted that Washington did not believe denuclearisation was a lost cause.&nbsp;

Clapper said he got a good taste of how the world looks from North Korea&#39;s viewpoint when he went to Pyongyang on a mission in 2014 to secure the release of two Americans held there.

&quot;They are under siege and they are very paranoid, so the notion of giving up their nuclear capability, whatever it is, is a non-starter with them. The best we could probably hope for is some sort of a cap, but they are not going to do that just because we ask them. There&rsquo;s going to have to be some significant inducements,&quot; Clapper said.&nbsp;

Pyongyang has persisted with its missile and nuclear weapons programs despite strong international sanctions.

(WION with inputs from Reuters) 
&nbsp;

Contrary to the Obama administration's policy, James Clapper said that at best the US could hope for a cap on Pyongyang's nuclear capability

Underscoring conflicting view in the Obama administration on the policy regarding denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, the director of US National Intelligence James Clapper on Tuesday said that he did not think the policy that Washington had stuck to was realistic. He said the US policy of trying to persuade North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons "is probably a lost cause" and the best they could hope for is a cap on the country's nuclear capability. However, the US state department maintained that the policy on the North had unchanged and the US will continue to seek the "verifiable denuclearisation" of the Korean peninsula. Disagreeing with the US spy chief, the department spokesman John Kirby said he had not seen Clapper's remarks but insisted that Washington did not believe denuclearisation was a lost cause. Clapper said he got a good taste of how the world looks from North Korea's viewpoint when he went to Pyongyang on a mission in 2014 to secure the release of two Americans held there. "They are under siege and they are very paranoid, so the notion of giving up their nuclear capability, whatever it is, is a non-starter with them. The best we could probably hope for is some sort of a cap, but they are not going to do that just because we ask them. There’s going to have to be some significant inducements," Clapper said. Pyongyang has persisted with its missile and nuclear weapons programs despite strong international sanctions. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Getting North Korea to denuclearise 'probably a lost cause': US Intelligence chief