Source : bbc.

com

Pence: US era of strategic patience

with North Korea over

US Vice-President Mike Pence has said his country's "era of strategic

patience" with North Korea is over.

Mr Pence first made the remarks at the demilitarised zone (DMZ), the area dividing
the two Koreas, during a visit to South Korea to reaffirm ties.

His visit comes amid escalated tensions on the peninsula, with heated rhetoric from
both North Korea and the US.

He arrived in Seoul on Sunday hours after North Korea carried out a failed missile
launch.

On Monday, the US and South Korea launched a joint air force military exercise to
ensure readiness against North Korea, according to South Korean media.

Mr Pence, whose father served in the Korean War, visited the truce village of
Panmunjom, where the war's armistice was signed.

'Don't test US resolve'

Speaking alongside South Korea's acting President Hwang Kyo-ahn later, he said
North Korea had conducted nuclear and missile tests as the previous US
administration had observed a policy of "strategic patience", but this was now over.

"Just in the past two weeks, the world witnessed the strength and resolve of our new
president in actions taken in Syria and Afghanistan," Mr Pence said.

"North Korea would do well not to test his resolve or the strength of the armed forces
of the United States in this region."

He reiterated US support for South Korea, telling his host: "We are with you 100%."

Mr Hwang hailed the early deployment of the controversial US missile defence

system (known as Thaad) designed to protect against threats from North Korea.

The US vice-president said he was disappointed that China had taken retaliatory
actions against South Korea in response to the move.
 What can the outside world do about N Korea?
 All about North Korea's missiles
Mr Pence's latest comments echoed those made by Secretary of State Rex
Tillerson, who warned that pre-emptive military action was "on the table" when he
visited the DMZ last month.

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow would not tolerate "missile
adventures by Pyongyang" but a unilateral use of power by the US would be "a very
risky course".
On Sunday, Lt Gen HR McMaster, the US top security adviser, said his country was
working on a "range of options" with China, the first confirmation the two countries
were co-operating to find a solution to the North Korean issue.
US President Donald Trump also said on Sunday that Beijing was "working with us on
the North Korean problem". He had stated last week that the US and its allies may
"deal with" Pyongyang if China did not.

The BBC's Stephen Evans in Seoul says US policy now seems to be to persuade
China to contain North Korea while keeping the economic and military pressure on.

China, historically Pyongyang's sole major ally, has reiterated its call for North Korea
to stop all tests, and has also called for a peaceful solution.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang told reporters in Beijing on Monday

that the Korean peninsula was "highly sensitive, complicated and high risk" and that
all sides should "avoid taking provocative actions that pour oil on the fire".
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He added that the crisis is between the US and North Korea, noting that "China is not
the initiator of the Korean peninsula nuclear issue".

Besides Sunday's launch, North Korea has held a series of large-scale events in the
past week including a massive celebration and military parade on Saturday.

Also on Monday, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un penned a letter to Syrian
President Bashar al-Assad to mark the 70th anniversary of Syria's independence,
according to state news agency KCNA.

"I express again a strong support and alliance to the Syrian government and its
people for its work of justice, condemning the United States' recent violent invasive
act against your country," he reportedly wrote.
Pyongyang has denounced the US deployment of an aircraft carrier group to the
region, saying it would respond by "force of arms" to "reckless moves".
Observers have said North Korea may conduct a sixth nuclear test soon, with activity
reported at nuclear facilities, according to the website 38 North.
Meanwhile about 1,000 US airmen and fighter jets are taking part in a combat
training exercise in South Korea, reported Yonhap news agency. South Korea has sent
about 500 personnel and planes. The Max Thunder exercise will last for two weeks.

Mr Pence is visiting South Korea, Japan, Indonesia and Australia on a 10-day Asia
tour.
He is expected to discuss rising tension on the Korean peninsula with Japanese
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday, when he heads to Tokyo for economic talks
with Finance Minister Taro Aso.

Mr Abe on Monday told a parliamentary session that diplomatic efforts were

"important to maintain peace", but "dialogue for the sake of having dialogue is
meaningless".

He added that Japan needed to apply pressure on Pyongyang to "seriously respond

to a dialogue" with the international community.
 ‫نائب الرئيس األمريكي مايك بنس يقول إن فترة "الصبر‬
‫االستراتيجي" مع كوريا الشمالية انتهت‬
‫حذر نائب الرئيس األمريكي‪ ،‬مايك بنس‪ ،‬من أن "فترة الصبر االستراتيجي" مع كوريا‬
‫الشمالية قد انتهت وذلك وسط تصاعد للتوتر في شبه الجزيرة الكورية‪ ،‬وتزداد حدة‬
‫الخطاب في كل من بيونغيانغ وواشنطن‪.‬‬
‫وجاء تصريح بنس في المنطقة المنزوعة السالح‪ ،‬الفاصلة بين الكوريتين‪ ،‬خالل زيارته لكوريا الجنوبية للتأكيد على‬
‫عالقة الواليات المتحدة بها‪.‬‬

‫وقال للصحفيين "كانت هناك فترة صبر استراتيجي‪ ،‬لكن تلك الفترة انتهت"‪ ،‬مؤكدا أن بالده تسعى إلى توفير األمن في‬
‫شبه الجزيرة الكورية "من خالل وسائل سلمية‪ ،‬وعبر المفاوضات‪".‬‬

‫وأضاف بنس أن "كل الخيارات مطروحة للبحث‪".‬‬

‫وكان بنس قد وصل إلى سيول األحد بعد ساعات فقط من تنفيذ كوريا الشمالية الختبار فاشل لصاروخ باليستي‪.‬‬
‫وبدأت الواليات المتحدة وكوريا الجنوبية اليوم االثنين تدريبات عسكرية مشتركة لضمان االستعداد لمواجهة كوريا‬
‫الشمالية‪ ،‬بحسب ما ذكرته وسائل إعالم كورية جنوبية‪.‬‬

‫وتردد تعليقات بنس صدى ما قاله من قبل وزير الخارجية األمريكي ريكس تيلرسون‪ ،‬الذي حذر بأن اتخاذ عمل عسكري‬
‫وقائي أصبح خيارا "مطروحا"‪ ،‬عندما زار المنطقة الفاصلة بين الكوريتين الشهر الماضي‪.‬‬

‫وأكد نائب الرئيس األمريكي أيضا التزامات بالده لكوريا الجنوبية‪ ،‬قائال إن التحالف بينهما "قوي شديد الصالبة"‪ ،‬وأن‬
‫على كوريا الشمالية "أال تتجاهل عزم" الواليات المتحدة على الوقوف مع حلفائها‪.‬‬

‫وندد بنس بالتجربة الباليستية التي أجرتها كوريا الشمالية‪.‬‬

‫وكان كبير مستشاري األمن القومي في إدارة الرئيس األمريكي دونالد ترامب‪ ،‬الجنرال هربرت ماكماستر‪ ،‬قد قال إن‬
‫هناك توافقا دوليا ‪ -‬يشمل الصين ‪ -‬ضد ما وصفه بسلوك التهديد لكوريا الشمالية‪.‬‬

‫وأضاف في مقابلة مع قناة أي بي سي أن الواليات المتحدة والصين تعمالن معا على "مجموعة من الخيارات" بشأن‬
‫بيونغيانغ‪.‬‬

‫وأكد على أن هناك توافقا على أن هذا "الوضع ال يمكن أن يستمر‪".‬‬

‫وأوضح ماكماستر‪ ،‬الذي يزور العاصمة األفغانية كابول‪ ،‬أن واشنطن سترد "بما يخدم أفضل المصالح للشعب األمريكي‪".‬‬

‫وكان دونالد ترامب قد قال في وقت سابق إن الصين "تعمل معنا" إزاء هذه القضية‪.‬‬