US: N. Korea’s Nukes ‘of Great Concern’

Gen. Vincent Brooks, the commander of the U.S. Army in the Pacific, said Wednesday that the range and precision of North Korea’s missiles were “of great concern” and threatened U.S. territory. Brooks told the think tank the Center for Strategic and International Studies that it’s difficult to pinpoint where North Korea is in the development of its nuclear program, but that the “potential for miscalculation is high.” Meanwhile, the U.S. mission to International Organizations in Vienna said the Hermit Kingdom’s graphite-moderated nuclear reactor has the potential to produce more plutonium to power future weapons. The statements come just a day after North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Su Yong announced the nation had the ability to launch a preemptive strike on the U.S. in case of nuclear threat. Tensions continue to escalate on the Korean Peninsula as the U.S. and South Korea conduct an annual joint military exercise.