North Korea could strike out-of-range London, warns UK defense secretary
North Korea is firing missiles over Japan, defying China and threatening war with the US, so now the UK’s defense secretary wants Britain to get in on the action.
Britain must stand up and be counted in the fight to bring down the rapidly advancing nuclear program of the hermit nation’s dictator Kim Jong-un, according to Gavin Williamson.
Every missile fired by the regime has been miles from UK shores, but Williamson thinks the UK’s stretched intelligence services and depleted military should begin preparing for a North Korean attack.
Dictator Kim Jong-un has been locked in a war of words with the US and Donald Trump. Kim has slated the UN and refused to back down in the face of sanctions imposed by China. Yet, according to Williamson, the UK could be next on the regime’s list of enemies, even though it hasn’t fired a missile which could actually reach the UK.
The latest launch from Pyongyang, the North’s capital, had a potential range of 8,000 miles. London is 9,000 miles away.
"North Korea is a massive threat. They are a real danger to this country,” Williamson said in an interview with the Evening Standard. "They are currently on the pathway to have ballistic missiles that could strike London. This is not just a problem for the US. This is a global problem. Britain has to step up in terms of dealing with it.
"There are threats emerging right around the world. Britain is a global player, it's a world player. We will never hesitate to deal with aggression and threats,” he added.
Williamson, who has no military background, has urged Britain to "step up" despite there being no public intelligence about a strike from the North. He assured the nation that a pair of Royal Navy frigates were heading to East Asia as part of international efforts to put pressure on North Korea.
There is no direct threat known, yet the UK’s depleted navy – currently looking to save billions of pounds – will head off around the world to show its military muscle. Just who Williamson thinks he is fooling is not clear, since the world knows that UK forces are shrinking.
A US general recently warned that Britain may soon not be able to defend itself if it follows through with planned cuts, which could include 1,000 marines, helicopters and two amphibious ships.
Washington found Pyongyang "directly responsible" for the WannaCry attack, which took down the computer systems in British hospitals in May. But the global attack targeted multiple nations, not just Britain.
