Mattis says US could ‘annihilate’ North Korea if it wanted to

The United States will launch a “massive military response” to future threats from North Korea, US Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis warned on Sunday.

He spoke after US President Donald Trump met with his national security advisers following a test of what Pyongyang said was a hydrogen bomb able to fit atop a missile.

“Any threat to the United States or its territories, including Guam, or our allies will be met with a massive military response, a response both effective and overwhelming,” Mattis said.

He added: “Kim Jong-Un should take heed of the United Nations Security Council’s unified voice. All members unanimously agreed on the threat North Korea poses and remain unanimous in their commitment to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

“We are not looking to the total annihilation of a country, namely North Korea, but as I said, we have many options to do so.”

Mattis, who did not take questions from reporters, said he had attended a “small group” national security meeting with Trump and others. He said the president wanted to be briefed on each of what Mattis called “many military options” for action against North Korea.

“We made clear that we have the ability to defend ourselves and our allies, South Korea and Japan, from any attacks, and our commitments among the allies are ironclad,” he said.

His comments came after Trump warned the time for “appeasement” was over and threatened drastic economic sanctions.

The unexpectedly powerful test Sunday was said to exceed in magnitude the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Japan — the resultant shock caused momentary panic in parts of China — and Trump slammed it as “very hostile and dangerous to the United States.”