North Korea Threatens to Wipe United States Off the Map

Washington and its allies are bracing themselves for signs of a missile attack from North Korea has promised. The often unpredictable regime plans to launch a series of missiles in the upcoming days.

A U.S. destroyer was trailing a North Korean ship off the coast of China that was allegedly transporting illicit weapons, which could potentially lead to the first test of U.N. approval to go after the nation for an underground nuclear test they conducted last month.

The new U.N. Security Council resolution requires member states to seek permission to inspect suspicious cargo, reports the Associated Press. North Korea has said it would consider interception a declaration of war and on Wednesday accused the U.S. of provoking another Korean War.

"If the U.S. imperialists start another war, the army and people of Korea will ... wipe out the aggressors on the globe once and for all," the government operated Korean Central News Agency said.

In response to U.N disapproval of that test, North Korea abandoned nuclear disarmament talks and warned it would fire a long-range missile.

North Korea also created an agenda to prohibit ships from the waters off its east coast starting Thursday through July 10 for military exercises, Japan's Coast Guard said.

South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported Wednesday that the North may fire a Scud missile with a range of up to 310 miles (500 kilometers) or a short-range ground-to-ship missile with a range of 100 miles (160 kilometers) during the no-sail period.

A senior South Korean government official said the no-sail ban is likely connected to North Korean's agenda to fire short- or mid-range missiles.

U.S. defense and counterproliferation officials in Washington said they also expected the North to launch short- to medium-range missiles. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive intelligence.

South Korea has suggested high-level " consultations to negotiate North Korea with the U.S. China and Japan.


"This administration -- and our military is fully prepared for any contingencies," Obama said during an interview with CBS News Monday morning.

"I don't want to speculate on hypotheticals," Obama said. "But I want ... to give assurances to the American people that the t's are crossed and the i's are dotted in terms of what might happen."

"What we're not going to do is to reward belligerence and provocation in the way that's been done in the past," he said.