But US President Trump’s choice of words—given that most previous presidents sought to ignore Kim Jong Un’s verbal threats—has generated more criticism than praise from foreign policy experts. Photo: ReutersWashington: President Donald Trump is turning to one of the few non-military tools at his disposal to confront the escalating threats posed by North Korea: his instinct for verbal combat. Even secretary of state Rex Tillerson, in the middle of a tour of Southeast Asia to discuss North Korea with allies, wasn’t consulted in advance, his spokeswoman said. The tone of Trump’s comments Tuesday—promising “fire and fury” if North Korea keeps threatening the US—appeared to come right out of Kim Jong Un’s playbook for over-the-top taunts. “The North Koreans are smart enough to realize that it could not have been achieved in the few months that he’s been in office,” said James Person, a North Korea analyst at the Wilson Center in Washington.

Source: Mint August 10, 2017 03:00 UTC