Pence Warns North Korea: Our Sword Stands Ready

The Telegraph reports:

Mike Pence, the US vice president, fired another clear shot across North Korea’s bow on Wednesday, warning that Washington’s “shield stands guard and sword stands ready”. Speaking to more than 2,500 US and Japanese military personnel on the flight deck of the USS Ronald Reagan as it was moored in the US naval base at Yokosuka, 50 miles south-west of Tokyo, Mr Pence warned Pyongyang not to test the resolve of President Donald Trump or the US military.

“Storm clouds gather on the horizon”, said Mr Pence, who arrived in Japan on Tuesday after visiting the Demilitarised Zone that divides the Korean Peninsula on Monday. “North Korea is the most dangerous and urgent threat to the peace and security of the Asia-Pacific”, he said, adding that while the US has in the past worked hard to find a diplomatic solution to encourage Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes, North Korea has engaged in “wilful deception” to continue with its military build-up.