NORTH KOREA - Escalation

Fat-Man vs Little-Boy

"Latest North Korea clash draws sharply different responses from Trump, top national security aides" PBS NewsHour 8/9/2017

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SUMMARY:  As a war of words escalated between the North Korea and the U.S., Secretary of State Rex Tillerson urged calm, saying Americans should have no concerns about the rhetoric of the last few days.  The volley of tough talk follows reports that Pyongyang can now make nuclear weapons small enough to fit inside a long-range missile.  John Yang reports.

"How will North Korea react to mixed signals from U.S.?" PBS NewsHour 8/9/2017

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SUMMARY:  Judy Woodruff talks to former Pentagon official Abraham Denmark and Mike Chinoy of the University of Southern California about the latest threats and counter-threats between Pyongyang and Washington and what options the U.S. has to defuse the situation.

"Trump fires back in war of words with North Korea" PBS NewsHour 8/10/2017

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SUMMARY:  President Trump doubled down on his threats against North Korea on Thursday, and disparaged a quarter century of U.S. policy for the country.  Meanwhile, North Korea announced its plans to launch four intermediate-range missiles at the U.S. territory of Guam and state TV declared the U.S. President reckless.  Special correspondent Nick Schifrin reports.

"Cardin: Trump's warning for North Korea isn't a game plan" PBS NewsHour 8/10/2017

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SUMMARY:  The August recess hasn't stopped members of Congress from weighing in on President Trump's latest warnings to North Korea.  Judy Woodruff speaks with Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md) about the president's fiery comments and whether the administration has a well-thought-out strategy, plus how the U.S. should approach diplomacy while turning up the pressure on the nation.

"How likely is a military conflict with North Korea?" PBS NewsHour 8/11/2017

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SUMMARY:  President Trump said the U.S. and its military is ready to deal with any provocation by the Pyongyang regime.  How do the president's words impact the Trump administration's options?  Judy Woodruff speaks with retired Adm. Dennis Blair, a former U.S. Pacific Forces commander, and former CIA analyst Sue Mi Terry to get some insight into the reclusive regime and how the U.S. should proceed.

"What's the view of U.S. tensions from Pyongyang?" PBS NewsHour 8/11/2017

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SUMMARY:  President Trump denounced North Korea yet again Friday, affirming the U.S. and its military are ready to deal with any further provocation from Pyongyang.  Despite the tensions, it was revealed that U.S. and North Korean diplomats have had back channel discussions recently.  Nick Schifrin looks at the internal response and gets the North Korean perspective from Rafael Wober of Associated Press.