North Korea regularly threatens to destroy the United States and amid heightened tension on the Korean peninsula, it has escalated a war of words, warning of full-out nuclear war if Washington takes military action against it.
Mattis denounced North Korea's attempted missile launch as he began a Middle East tour, telling reporters traveling with him to Saudi Arabia, "the leader of North Korea again recklessly tried to provoke something by launching a missile", he said.
The spectacle was followed by a test of their so-called intercontinental missile, which failed just five seconds after launch, observers in the US and South Korea said.
"It does very seriously damage the credibility of the pressure the Americans are trying to apply to North Korea", said Hugh White, who was deputy secretary for strategy and intelligence in the Australian Department of Defense from 1995 to 2000.
The United States will enhance its military presence in the Asia Pacific region amid growing threat emanating from North Korea, US Vice President Mike Pence said Wednesday.
The U.S. military said on April 10 that the aircraft carrier strike group Trump was referring to had been ordered to "sail north and report on station in the Western Pacific" after departing Singapore.
"Those who would challenge our resolve or our readiness should know we will defeat any attack and meet any use of conventional or nuclear weapons with an overwhelming and effective American response", Pence said later in Wednesday's remarks. Pence heads for Indonesia later on Wednesday.
During his appearance in South Korea, Pence also said previous administrations have practiced "strategic patience" in the region and vowed that the "era of strategic patience is over".
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Pence (C) delivers a speech on board the USS Ronald Reagan on April 19, 2017.
He told CNN's Dana Bash on Tuesday he believes North Korea is getting the message.
"My hope is that they'll continue to get the message not just from the United States, here in Japan, and in South Korea, but on an increasing basis from China and countries all over the world committing to a denuclearized Korean Peninsula", he said.
America fears North Korea has the potential to wipe Seoul off the face of the earth, obliterating the capital of a key USA ally.
Recent developments, however, have may have confused that message.
Addressing more than 2,500 United States and Japanese military personnel, the Donald Trump's vice president indicated war could be imminent by saying "storms gather on the horizon".
His remarks also coincided with an embarrassing USA admission on Tuesday that an aircraft carrier Trump said 10 days ago was sailing to waters off the Korean Peninsula was in fact heading in the opposite direction.
"America has played a certain role in Asia since 1945. that role has in the end of the day been a stabilizer", Delury said.
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