A member of the House Armed Services Committee said Thursday he would conduct a pre-emptive strike on North Korea to stop the reclusive nation's aggressive and provocative military actions.
Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., appeared on San Diego television station KUSI and said North Korea presents a "clear and present danger" to the United States and the rest of the world.
"You could assume, right now, that we have a nuclear missile aimed at the United States, and here in San Diego," Hunter said. "Why would they not aim here, why would they not aim at Hawaii, Guam, our major Naval bases?
"We're the ones right now here in San Diego . . . we could be under direct fire from the North Koreans.
"The question is, do you wait for one of those? Or, two, do you pre-emptively strike them? And that's what the president has to wrestle with. I would pre-emptively strike them. You could call it declaring war, call it whatever you want."
North Korea has threatened to strike Guam, a U.S. territory in the western Pacific Ocean, and even the U.S. mainland. After President Donald Trump called the nation's leader Kim Jong Un "rocket man" and promised to "totally destroy North Korea" if they were to attack the U.S., Kim called Trump a "frightened dog" and a "mentally deranged U.S. dotard."
Hunter said it's time to act before North Korea does. On Friday, North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho said Kim is thinking about detonating a nuclear bomb over the Pacific Ocean.
"They can reach the U.S. mainland. They might be able to hit it within a block radius. They may be aiming for Coronado but hit El Cajon," Hunter said.
"This is a clear and present danger."
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