He said he's on the same page as Trump and Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly in believing that it would be a huge mistake to allow North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un to have an intercontinental ballistic missile that could reach the U.S.
Abe told reporters after a telephone call with Mr Trump that he appreciated the U.S. leader's stance of showing that all options are on the table when it comes to dealing with North Korea.
"We're all going to the White House tomorrow night to be briefed", Graham said.
Graham and McCain are defense hawks and have been two of Trump's sharpest GOP critics on foreign policy matters. He won't let this nut job in North Korea develop a missile with a nuclear weapon on top to hit America.
However, Australian defence industry minister Christopher Pyne insists that North Korea does not have a ballistic missile with a nuclear warhead capable to reaching Australia. The Trump administration is instead seeking to put pressure on North Korea with the help of China.
Air China to suspend flights to North Korea
Now, is this the path that the USA wants to go down? Amid these tensions, reports of impending military action have been swirling. In recent time North Korea has responded to USA hostility by declaring that they are prepared for war.
"North Korea's unlawful weapons program represents a clear, grave threat to USA national security", Pentagon spokesman Gary Ross said in a statement.
Last week, Graham said that the U.S. should launch a preemptive strike on North Korea if that's what it takes to stop Pyongyang from building a missile capable of hitting the country, arguing that war with the North won't reach the United States, but a North Korean ICBM could.
"It's a matter of time if nothing changes", Victor Cha, a Korean expert at the Center For Strategic and International Studies, told the Senate Armed Services Committee. "For example, the ballistic missile launched from (North Korea) on February 7 previous year took 10 minutes to fly over Okinawa". "I don't think people think that way anymore", Cha said. McCain also said the North's leader is "intent on having the capability to strike the United States of America. That is the threat".
"This initiative would enhance Pacific Command's credible combat power through targeted funding to realign USA military force posture in the region, improve operationally relevant infrastructure, fund additional exercises, pre-position equipment and munitions, and build capacity with our allies and partners", McCain said. But a pre-emptive strike, he said, "would be the last one".
As the US carrier is believed to be approaching waters near the Korean Peninsula, the MSDF is considering holding another joint drill in the Sea of Japan, according to a Japanese government source. South Korea's navy is planning to hold joint naval drills with US aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson battle group, which has trained with Japanese destroyers in recent days, around the weekend. "China must now move beyond mere articulation of concern and lay out a transparent path of focused pressure to denuclearize North Korea", he said. But he also criticized Beijing for repeatedly refusing to use its influence to bring North Korea to the negotiating table and curb what McCain considers Pyongyang's bellicose behavior. China, in response, has waged a campaign of economic retaliation against South Korea, which McCain said has inflicted real damage.
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