Rep. Franks: NKorea's Threats to Guam Must Not Be Ignored

North Korea's threat to launch missiles at Guam must be "considered carefully," and it can't be ignored, Rep. Trent Franks, a member of the House Armed Services and Judiciary Committees, said Thursday.

"We only have a short period of time to ascertain the trajectory, and whether or not the missiles are on track to hit Guam," the Arizona Republican told MSNBC. "If we think that trajectory is on track, we would have to engage our own missile defense capability."

The United States should not be where it is, but the decisions of former Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama have left the country in a perilous state with not only North Korea, but also Iran.

"Bill Clinton had an opportunity to negotiate with the North Koreans, and he made a deal," Franks said. "He paid the ransom but didn't secure the hostage. Barack Obama did the same thing with Iran."

Now, Franks said, the United States is facing a situation in which its most dangerous enemies could be armed with nuclear weapons, and "that's not good news for children and future generations."

The United States, he continued, as two ways to defend itself against intercontinental ballistic missiles bearing nuclear warheads: either to interdict them in flight or to be able to prevent them from being launched.

"The main predicate for decades now against very dangerous enemies has been deterrence," said Franks. "They have to believe there's no gain in attacking the United States. I think the president is making it clear to North Korea that if they should attack the United States with nuclear weapons, that there will be absolutely no gain to them, and great harm to them if that occurs."

He said he does believe that President Donald Trump, with his strong warnings to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, is making it clear that North Korea will meet with no gain should it attack the United States with nuclear weapons.

Meanwhile, there has been a great deal of information on North Korea for decades, and the opportunity to deny the country the capability for nuclear weapons, said Franks.

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