James Mattis: North Korea attack on Guam could `quickly escalate into war`
(The Guardian North Korea)

The US defence secretary issued the warning as Pyongyang repeated its threat of firing missiles into the sea off the coast of the US Pacific island territoryThe US and North Korea exchanged warnings over the risk of war on Monday as Washington prepared for military exercises and Pyongyang repeated its threat of firing missiles into the sea off the coast of Guam.James Mattis, the US defence secretary, warned that a North Korean missile attack aimed at US territory `could escalate into war very quickly`. He said that US forces would know `within moments` if the trajectory of a North Korean missile was taking it towards Guam, a US territory that is home to military bases and 160,000 people. Related: In 1939, I didn´t hear war coming. Now its thundering approach can´t be ignored | Harry Leslie Smith What kind of anti-missile defences does the US possess? Related: Guam: life in the nuclear firing line - in pictures Guam, a 210 sq mile sovereign US territory in the western Pacific Ocean, is used by America as a strategic military base. Almost a third of its land is controlled by the US military and about 6,000 American troops are based there. Related: Japan fears the once distant threat of North Korean missiles is becoming real | Justin McCurry Continue reading...