Washington: President Donald Trump`s vow to respond with "fire and fury" if North Korea persisted in threatening the United States caught his foreign policy and military aides by surprise, two administration officials with direct knowledge of how the issue unfolded said on Wednesday.
"President Trump`s comment was unplanned and spontaneous,” said a senior administration official who deals with the Korea issue and who requested anonymity.
The comment was “all Trump,” said another administration official who, like the first, requested anonymity.
At a Tuesday discussion on the opioid crisis, Trump said: "North Korea best not make any more threats to the United States. They will be met with fire and fury like the world has never seen."
U.S. officials and analysts cautioned against engaging in rhetorical shouting matches with Pyongyang, which in turn said it was considering a strategy to fire missiles at the U.S.-held Pacific island of Guam.
In response to two ICBM tests by Pyongyang last month, the U.N. Security Council passed its strongest set of sanctions yet against North Korea, slashing its annual export revenue by a third. Pyongyang warned it was ready to teach the United States a "severe lesson".
The senior administration official who deals with the Korea issue told Reuters:
“There had not been any discussions about escalating the rhetoric in response to North Korean leader Kim (Jong Un)’s statements or about the possible effects of doing that," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
"Nevertheless, it is important for the North Koreans to understand that this country’s strategic patience is exhausted and that our resolve to defend our allies, whatever is required to do that, is not.”
Privately two other U.S. officials, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, said the president’s threat of “fire and fury” was not helpful and threatened to evoke an undesirable response from the North Korean leader.
It also risked alienating U.S. allies Japan and South Korea, as well as adversaries China and Russia, all of whom Washington wants to help pressure Kim to abandon his pursuit of a robust nuclear arsenal capable of striking the continental United States.
On Wednesday, Trump appeared to temper his comments by expressing hope that the U.S. nuclear arsenal would never need to be used.
Senior administration officials found different ways to explain Trump`s "fire and fury" remark.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson appeared to play down the tough talk, saying Trump was just trying to send a strong message in language North Korea`s leader would understand because he "doesn`t seem to understand diplomatic language." Speaking to reporters before landing in Guam on a previously planned trip on Wednesday, he said there was no imminent threat from North Korea and Americans should "sleep well at night."
By contrast, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis used some of his strongest language yet on North Korea, warning Pyongyang it must stop any action that would "lead to the end of its regime and the destruction of its people." He said North Korea`s actions would continue to be "grossly overmatched by ours and would lose any arms race or conflict it initiates".
