Saipan Tribune

Thursday, June 20, 2013

Friday, March 22, 2013

NMI closely monitoring N. Korea threat

The Inos administration is keeping a close eye on the North Korean military's fresh threat Thursday to attack U.S. bases in Japan and Guam, which is the CNMI's closest neighbor.

Press secretary Angel A. Demapan said yesterday that Gov. Eloy S. Inos and Lt. Gov. Jude U. Hofschneider “continue to keep a close eye on this developing situation.”

He also said the Inos administration understands that the U.S. Department of Defense is closely monitoring this issue and taking precautionary measures in response to reported threats.

Guam Delegate Madeleine Bordallo, in a statement, said “Kim Jong Un and the North Korean regime's threat to destroy U.S. military installations in South Korea, Guam, and the Pacific is unhelpful towars ensuring peace and security in the Asia-Pacific region.”

“These statements, once again, are a reminder of the importance of the Obama Administration’s refocus on strengthening our defenses in Asia-Pacific and the need for the United States to maintain a prominent role in stabilizing the region and to work closely with our allies. Again, I remain confident in our nation's defense capabilities in protecting the United States and Guam from any threats or attacks to our security,” she said.

The statement from the Supreme Command of the Korean People’s Army was carried by North Korea's state-run news agency, on the heels of the United States' announcement week that its B-52 bombers were making flights over South Korea as part of military exercises.

"The U.S. should not forget that the Anderson Air Force Base on Guam where the B-52s take off and naval bases in Japan proper and Okinawa where nuclear-powered submarines are launched are within the striking range of the DPRK’s precision strike means," the North Korean military said Thursday.

DPRK is short for Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, North Korea’s official name.

National news outlets said tensions have spiked in the region after North Korea carried out its latest underground nuclear test in February, prompting the UN Security Council to respond by toughening sanctions on the secretive regime.