U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis delivered a pithy response on Sunday to North Korea’s nuclear test earlier that day. This was the core of the statement: “Any threat to the United States or its territories including Guam or our allies will be met with a massive military response, a response both effective and overwhelming.”

Global markets barely moved upon opening on Monday, which was consistent with the broader treatment of these words as just more of the same from Washington. But that is to misinterpret Mattis, whose words represent a significant escalation in U.S. policy: The probability of a U.S. strike on North Korea has clearly risen.

Compare Mattis’ statement with the key part of Donald Trump’s remarks on August 8, in which the president said, “North Korea best not make any more threats to the United States. They will be met with fire and fury like the world has never seen.”

First, context. On August 8, Trump spoke off the cuff from a golf club during a discussion on opioids, which left ambiguous how far his words represented the administration’s position. Mattis spoke outside the White House, flanked by the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Marine General Joseph Dunford, in a scripted statement, in which each word had clearly been carefully chosen.

Second, speaker. We have become accustomed to Trump’s remarks being contradicted by members of his administration, or by his own subsequent statements. But not so with Mattis, who is one of the most highly respected military officers of his generation. When Mattis speaks, you listen to each word. And the two key words in Mattis’ statement were “will be”: Not “might be”, but will be. That tells us that if North Korea makes a threat that meets the administration’s definition, the next step is a U.S. strike, rather than more diplomacy.

Third, scope. Trump said on August 8 that threats “to the United States” would trigger a U.S. military response. Since then, North Korea has threatened Guam, an unincorporated U.S. territory, and flown a missile over Japan, but has been careful not to cross Trump’s line by threatening the U.S. mainland directly. Mattis’ statement makes clear that now any threat to Guam or U.S. allies like South Korea or Japan will trigger a U.S. strike. So the bar for what will trigger a U.S. strike has been lowered.

Fourth, detail. Trump’s “fire and fury like the world has never seen” can be interpreted in many ways, if indeed it is even understood as a statement of policy, not just rhetoric. Conversely, from Mattis’ precise statement, we can now deduct the outline of what a U.S. strike would look like.

Thus, Mattis asserted that “we are not looking to the total annihilation of a country, namely, North Korea”. Translation: a U.S. strike would target North Korean nuclear and military assets, rather than destroy the whole country, and is unlikely to involve any U.S. invasion; but such a U.S. strike would nonetheless be massive and sudden, and without further warning, if North Korea were to make the threat in question.

Furthermore, Mattis ended his statement by clearly noting the U.S. preference for a diplomatic solution: “Kim Jong Un should take heed the United Nations Security Council’s unified voice. All members unanimously agreed on the threat North Korea poses. And they remain unanimous in their commitment to the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.”

In sum, it seems clear that Mattis wants a peaceful solution as a primary objective, but is ready to strike North Korean nuclear and military installations if Pyongyang makes any further threat to the U.S. or its allies.

However, Mattis was careful to leave a safety valve in the language he used. His statement leaves the Trump administration room to maneuver in the definition of the term “any threat”. Thus, such language could be interpreted by the administration to either include or exclude merely verbal threats, or indeed, any other type.

But Mattis’ use of the term “any threat” may have been designed to anticipate a justification to use force in self-defense under Article 51 of the U.N. Charter, which is understood to require an imminent threat of “armed attack” against which action can then be taken in self-defense, if that attack has not yet begun. Note that action taken under Article 51 does not require prior U.N. Security Council approval.

Furthermore, we should recognize that while Mattis’ words give us the most precise account of the Trump administration’s position on North Korea to date, there may well remain substantial differences within the administration. The UN Security Council meets Monday, and it is possible that U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations Nikki Haley and U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson can craft an alternative diplomatic path.

Kim Jong Un’s demurral from threatening the United States mainland after Trump’s August 8 remarks may indicate that he takes Washington’s rhetoric seriously, and that he acts relatively rationally. But now Mattis has extended the precision of the U.S. position to include North Korean threats to U.S. allies, and used the words “will be” in a formal context, Kim Jong Un has been pushed into a tighter corner.

So let’s be clear: Yesterday was not more of the same. The probability of a U.S. strike on North Korea has gone up in the last 48 hours. The ball is in Kim Jong Un’s court, and he has a history of taking wild swings. If he says the wrong thing now, the next step could well be violent. If that happens, don’t say Mattis didn’t warn you. </s> Robert Burns and Catherine Lucey, The Associated Press 

 



WASHINGTON -- U.S. Defence Secretary Jim Mattis on Sunday shot back at North Korea's latest nuclear provocation with a blunt threat, saying the U.S. will answer any North Korean threat with a "massive military response -- a response both effective and overwhelming." While he said America does not seek the "total annihilation" of the North, he added somberly, "We have many options to do so."

In a brief statement to reporters outside the White House, Mattis said the international community is unified in demanding the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula and said the North's leader, Kim Jong Un, should know that Washington's commitment to Japan and South Korea is unshakeable.

Earlier, President Donald Trump raised the stakes in the escalating crisis over North Korea's nuclear threats, suggesting drastic economic measures against China and criticizing ally South Korea.

With Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, at his side, Mattis said, "Any threat to the United States or its territories, including Guam, or our allies will be met with a massive military response -- a response both effective and overwhelming." Those words alone were within the usual bounds of U.S. commentary on answering North Korean aggression. But he seemed to take it a step further with the reference to "total annihilation."

Mattis, who did not take questions from reporters, said he had attended a "small group" national security meeting with Trump and others. He said the president wanted to be briefed on each of what Mattis called "many military options" for action against North Korea. He did not mention any specific options, but his comment suggested that they discussed everything from a show of force such as an overflight of the peninsula by U.S. bombers to the latest war plan for destroying the North's weaponry and eliminating its leadership.

"We made clear that we have the ability to defend ourselves and our allies, South Korea and Japan, from any attacks, and our commitments among the allies are ironclad," he said. The use of Mattis as the president's spokesman in this circumstance was, by itself, a reflection of the growing risk that the crisis could escalate to military action.

"Kim Jong Un should take heed of the United Nations Security Council's unified voice - all members unanimously agreed on the threat North Korea poses, and remain unanimous in their commitment to the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula - because we are not looking to the total annihilation of a country - namely, North Korea," Mattis said, reading from a piece of paper. "But, as I said, we have many options to do so."

North Korea claimed "perfect success" in an underground test of what it called a hydrogen bomb -- potentially vastly more destructive than an atomic bomb. It was the North's sixth nuclear test since 2006, but the first since Trump took office in January.

Trump, asked by a reporter during a trip to church services if he would attack the North, said: "We'll see."

No U.S. military action appeared imminent, and the immediate focus appeared to be on ratcheting up economic penalties, which have had little effect thus far. Members of Congress expressed alarm at the North's test and emphasized strengthening U.S. missile defences. Leaders in Russia, China and Europe issued condemnations.

Trump said he was meeting at the White House with chief of staff John Kelly, Mattis "and other military leaders." Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, also attended, according to his spokesman.

The precise strength of the underground nuclear explosion had yet to be determined. South Korea's weather agency said the artificial earthquake caused by the explosion was five times to six times stronger than tremors generated by the North's previous five tests.

North Korea's state-run television broadcast a special bulletin to announce the test, and said Kim attended a meeting of the ruling party's presidium and signed the go-ahead order. Earlier, the party's newspaper published photos of Kim examining what it said was a nuclear warhead being fitted onto an intercontinental ballistic missile.

Sunday's detonation builds on recent North Korean advances that include test launches in July of two ICBMs that are believed to be capable of reaching the mainland U.S. The North says its missile development is part of a defensive effort to build a viable nuclear deterrent that can target U.S. cities.

The Arms Control Association said the explosion appeared to produce a yield in excess of 100 kilotons of TNT equivalent, which it said strongly suggests the North tested a high-yield but compact nuclear weapon that could be launched on a missile of intermediate or intercontinental range.

Hans Kristensen, a nuclear weapons expert at the Federation of American Scientists, said the North probably will need to do more tests before achieving a functioning hydrogen bomb design.

Beyond the science of the blast, North Korea's accelerating push to field a nuclear weapon that can target all of the United States is creating political complications for the U.S. as it seeks to balance resolve with reassurance to allies that Washington will uphold its decadeslong commitment to deter nuclear attack on South Korea and Japan.

That is why some questioned Trump's jab Sunday at South Korea. He tweeted that Seoul is finding that its "talk of appeasement" will not work. The North Koreans, he added, "only understand one thing," implying military force might be required. The U.S. has about 28,000 troops stationed in South Korea and is obliged by treaty to defend it in the event of war.

Patrick Cronin, an Asia expert with the Center for a New American Security, said Trump's comment on South Korea was probably "intended to stiffen the spine of an ally." He said he agreed with the intention.

"I think Washington is very serious about showing some unexpected resolve," he said. "We need our ally and we need to remain ironclad. But at the same time, we can't afford South Korea to go weak in facing down this growing danger."

Trump also suggested putting more pressure on China, the North's patron for many decades and a vital U.S. trading partner, in hopes of persuading Beijing to exert more effective leverage on its neighbour. Trump tweeted that the U.S. is considering "stopping all trade with any country doing business with North Korea." Such a halt would be radical. The U.S. imports about $40 billion in goods a month from China, North Korea's main commercial partner.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was calling counterparts in Asia, and Trump's treasury secretary, Steven Mnuchin, said he was putting together proposed new sanctions for Trump to consider that would seek to cut off trade with North Korea.

It's unclear what kind of penalties might make a difference. Lassina Zerbo, head of the U.N. test ban treaty organization, said sanctions already imposed against North Korea aren't working.

China's official Xinhua News Agency said President Xi Jinping and Russian leader Vladimir Putin, meeting on the sidelines of a Beijing-led economic summit, agreed "to adhere to the goal of the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, have close communication and co-ordination and properly respond" to the test.

Experts have questioned whether the North has gone too far down the nuclear road to continue pushing for a denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, an Obama administration policy goal still embraced by Trump's White House.

"Denuclearization is not a viable U.S. policy goal," said Richard Fontaine, president of the Center for a New American Security, but neither should the U.S. accept North Korea as a nuclear power. "We should keep denuclearization as a long-term aspiration, but recognize privately that it's unachievable anytime soon."

Trump warned last month that the U.S. military was "locked and loaded, should North Korea act unwisely" and that the U.S. would unleash "fire and fury" on the North if it continued to threaten America. The bellicose words followed threats from North Korea to launch ballistic missiles toward the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam, intending to create "enveloping fire" near the military hub that's home to U.S. bombers and other aircraft.

Associated Press writers Eric Talmadge in Tokyo contributed to this report. </s> WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Sunday shot back at North Korea’s latest nuclear provocation with a blunt threat, saying the U.S. will answer any North Korean threat with a “massive military response — a response both effective and overwhelming.” While he said America does not seek the “total annihilation” of the North, he added somberly, “We have many options to do so.”

In a brief statement to reporters outside the White House, Mattis said the international community is unified in demanding the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula and said the North’s leader, Kim Jong Un, should know that Washington’s commitment to Japan and South Korea is unshakeable.

 Earlier, President Donald Trump raised the stakes in the escalating crisis over North Korea’s nuclear threats, suggesting drastic economic measures against China and criticizing ally South Korea.

With Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, at his side, Mattis said, “Any threat to the United States or its territories, including Guam, or our allies will be met with a massive military response — a response both effective and overwhelming.” Those words alone were within the usual bounds of U.S. commentary on answering North Korean aggression. But he seemed to take it a step further with the reference to “total annihilation.”

Mattis, who did not take questions from reporters, said he had attended a “small group” national security meeting with Trump and others. He said the president wanted to be briefed on each of what Mattis called “many military options” for action against North Korea. He did not mention any specific options, but his comment suggested that they discussed everything from a show of force such as an overflight of the peninsula by U.S. bombers to the latest war plan for destroying the North’s weaponry and eliminating its leadership.

“We made clear that we have the ability to defend ourselves and our allies, South Korea and Japan, from any attacks, and our commitments among the allies are ironclad,” he said. The use of Mattis as the president’s spokesman in this circumstance was, by itself, a reflection of the growing risk that the crisis could escalate to military action.

“Kim Jong Un should take heed of the United Nations Security Council’s unified voice – all members unanimously agreed on the threat North Korea poses, and remain unanimous in their commitment to the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula – because we are not looking to the total annihilation of a country – namely, North Korea,” Mattis said, reading from a piece of paper. “But, as I said, we have many options to do so.”

North Korea claimed “perfect success” in an underground test of what it called a hydrogen bomb — potentially vastly more destructive than an atomic bomb. It was the North’s sixth nuclear test since 2006, but the first since Trump took office in January.

Trump, asked by a reporter during a trip to church services if he would attack the North, said: “We’ll see.”

No U.S. military action appeared imminent, and the immediate focus appeared to be on ratcheting up economic penalties, which have had little effect thus far. Members of Congress expressed alarm at the North’s test and emphasized strengthening U.S. missile defenses. Leaders in Russia, China and Europe issued condemnations.

Trump said he was meeting at the White House with chief of staff John Kelly, Mattis “and other military leaders.” Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, also attended, according to his spokesman.

The precise strength of the underground nuclear explosion had yet to be determined. South Korea’s weather agency said the artificial earthquake caused by the explosion was five times to six times stronger than tremors generated by the North’s previous five tests.

North Korea’s state-run television broadcast a special bulletin to announce the test, and said Kim attended a meeting of the ruling party’s presidium and signed the go-ahead order. Earlier, the party’s newspaper published photos of Kim examining what it said was a nuclear warhead being fitted onto an intercontinental ballistic missile.

Sunday’s detonation builds on recent North Korean advances that include test launches in July of two ICBMs that are believed to be capable of reaching the mainland U.S. The North says its missile development is part of a defensive effort to build a viable nuclear deterrent that can target U.S. cities.

The Arms Control Association said the explosion appeared to produce a yield in excess of 100 kilotons of TNT equivalent, which it said strongly suggests the North tested a high-yield but compact nuclear weapon that could be launched on a missile of intermediate or intercontinental range.

Hans Kristensen, a nuclear weapons expert at the Federation of American Scientists, said the North probably will need to do more tests before achieving a functioning hydrogen bomb design.

Beyond the science of the blast, North Korea’s accelerating push to field a nuclear weapon that can target all of the United States is creating political complications for the U.S. as it seeks to balance resolve with reassurance to allies that Washington will uphold its decadeslong commitment to deter nuclear attack on South Korea and Japan.

That is why some questioned Trump’s jab Sunday at South Korea. He tweeted that Seoul is finding that its “talk of appeasement” will not work. The North Koreans, he added, “only understand one thing,” implying military force might be required. The U.S. has about 28,000 troops stationed in South Korea and is obliged by treaty to defend it in the event of war.

Patrick Cronin, an Asia expert with the Center for a New American Security, said Trump’s comment on South Korea was probably “intended to stiffen the spine of an ally.” He said he agreed with the intention.

“I think Washington is very serious about showing some unexpected resolve,” he said. “We need our ally and we need to remain ironclad. But at the same time, we can’t afford South Korea to go weak in facing down this growing danger.”

Trump also suggested putting more pressure on China, the North’s patron for many decades and a vital U.S. trading partner, in hopes of persuading Beijing to exert more effective leverage on its neighbor. Trump tweeted that the U.S. is considering “stopping all trade with any country doing business with North Korea.” Such a halt would be radical. The U.S. imports about $40 billion in goods a month from China, North Korea’s main commercial partner.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was calling counterparts in Asia, and Trump’s treasury secretary, Steven Mnuchin, said he was putting together proposed new sanctions for Trump to consider that would seek to cut off trade with North Korea.

It’s unclear what kind of penalties might make a difference. Lassina Zerbo, head of the U.N. test ban treaty organization, said sanctions already imposed against North Korea aren’t working.

China’s official Xinhua News Agency said President Xi Jinping and Russian leader Vladimir Putin, meeting on the sidelines of a Beijing-led economic summit, agreed “to adhere to the goal of the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, have close communication and coordination and properly respond” to the test.

Experts have questioned whether the North has gone too far down the nuclear road to continue pushing for a denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, an Obama administration policy goal still embraced by Trump’s White House.

“Denuclearization is not a viable U.S. policy goal,” said Richard Fontaine, president of the Center for a New American Security, but neither should the U.S. accept North Korea as a nuclear power. “We should keep denuclearization as a long-term aspiration, but recognize privately that it’s unachievable anytime soon.”

Trump warned last month that the U.S. military was “locked and loaded, should North Korea act unwisely” and that the U.S. would unleash “fire and fury” on the North if it continued to threaten America. The bellicose words followed threats from North Korea to launch ballistic missiles toward the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam, intending to create “enveloping fire” near the military hub that’s home to U.S. bombers and other aircraft.

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• HOW TO HELP VICTIMS OF HURRICANE HARVEY </s> U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis threatened military action against North Korea Sunday during a short press briefing at the White House.

Standing beside Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Josep Dunford, Mattis stated that any threat to the U.S., its territories or its allies would be met with “a massive military response.”

“Any threat to the United States or its territories, including Guam, or our allies, will be met with a massive military response,” Mattis said. “A response both effective and overwhelming.”

The stern warning came after a national security meeting in which President Donald Trump was briefed on all U.S. military options following North Korea’s test of a suspected thermonuclear weapon on Sunday.

“We have many military options and the president wanted to be briefed on each one of them,” Mattis said. “We made clear that we have the ability to defend ourselves and our allies South Korea and Japan from any attack and our commitments among the allies are ironclad.”

Mattis stressed that the U.S. is “not looking to the total annihilation of a country, namely North Korea” but said there were “many options to do so.”

“North Korea has conducted a major Nuclear Test,” Trump said on Twitter. “Their words and actions continue to be very hostile and dangerous to the United States.”

Hours before Pyongyang’s sixth nuclear weapons test, which produced a magnitude 6.3 earthquake according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was pictured next to the alleged “H-bomb” – designed for the country’s intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

“The institute recently succeeded in making a more developed nuke, true to the strategic intention of the WPK for bringing about a signal turn in nuclear weaponization,” a statement from the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. “He watched an H-bomb to be loaded into new ICBM.”

“The H-bomb, the explosive power of which is adjustable from tens kiloton to hundreds kiloton, is a multi-functional thermonuclear nuke with great destructive power which can be detonated even at high altitudes for super-powerful EMP attack according to strategic goals.”

Experts say the seismic activity produced by the nuclear test, North Korea’s most powerful to date, is consistent with that of a thermonuclear explosion. </s> United States Defense Secretary James Mattis has laid out plainly US military options against North Korea's threats in a short statement outside the White House on Sunday (3 August).

Mattis said threats to the US, its territories or its allies "will be met with a massive military response", adding that it would be "a response both effective and overwhelming".

Mattis also named Guam when mentioning the US overseas territories - a Pacific island that North Korea has previously threatened with attacks.

The strong words from the defence secretary came after North Korea said they had successfully tested a hydrogen bomb that could be fitted to an intercontinental ballistic missile.

If true, it could mean that the country now has capabilities to launch a nuclear warhead at the continental United States.

Mattis said that the US does not seek the "total annihilation" of North Korea but that "we have many options to do so".

US President Donald Trump and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said earlier on Sunday that the country was looking into new sanctions that would mean countries doing business with North Korea could no longer do any business with the United States.

"The United States is considering, in addition to other options, stopping all trade with any country doing business with North Korea," Trump tweeted on Sunday.

In an earlier tweet, he branded North Korea "a rogue nation".

"North Korea has conducted a major nuclear test. Their words and actions continue to be very hostile and dangerous to the United States...North Korea is a rogue nation which has become a great threat and embarrassment to China, which is trying to help but with little success," the president tweeted.

The nuclear test is the latest provocation from North Korea and an escalation from a number of missile tests that it had undertaken in the last few months. It is the country's sixth nuclear test. </s> WASHINGTON: Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Friday that America is facing "growing threats" from China and Russia, and warned that the US military's advantages have eroded in recent years.

Mattis's assessment came as he unveiled the Pentagon's vision for the future detailed in a document called the national defense strategy.

"We face growing threats from revisionist powers as different as China and Russia, nations that seek to create a world consistent with their authoritarian models," Mattis said as he unveiled the unclassified section of the document.

"Our military is still strong, yet our competitive edge has eroded in every domain of warfare -- air, land, sea, space and cyberspace -- and is continually eroding," he added.

President Donald Trump and his administration worry that the vast US military force is feeling the effects of years of budget shortfalls and atrophy, and needs a full reboot to restore it to an idealized strength.

Part wish list, part blueprint for the coming years, the Pentagon's national defense strategy seeks to increase the size of the military, improve its readiness and work with allies -- all while operating across multiple theaters including in Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

"This strategy establishes my intent to pursue urgent change at significant scale," Mattis wrote in the introduction to the strategy.

"We must use creative approaches, make sustained investment and be disciplined in execution to field a Joint Force fit for our time, one that competes, deters and wins in this increasingly complex security environment."

Elbridge Colby, deputy assistant secretary of defense for strategy and force development, told reporters that Mattis's strategy seeks to deal with the "erosion" of America's military advantage.

"What it is recognizing is that China and Russia in particular have been assiduously working over a number of years to develop their military capabilities to challenge our military advantages," he said.

The new defense strategy follows on from Trump's national security strategy that he released last month which, similarly, highlights the role of China and Russia in the global security environment.

"China is a strategic competitor using predatory economics to intimidate its neighbors while militarizing features in the South China Sea," Mattis wrote.

"Russia has violated the borders of nearby nations and pursues veto power over the economic, diplomatic and security decisions of its neighbors," he added, while also pointing a finger at Iran and North Korea for their threats to peace.

The two countries reacted furiously to Trump's security strategy, with Beijing accusing Washington of having a "Cold War mentality" while Moscow denounced its "imperialist character."

Trump's security strategy contrasts with the friendly nature of his first state visit to Beijing in November, when he received a lavish welcome and repeatedly praised President Xi Jinping.

One of the biggest criticisms inside the Pentagon and on Capitol Hill is that the US military is suffering from a lack of readiness, where troops and gear are not getting the training or maintenance they need.

Mattis said the United States must be ready to fight a war.

"The surest way to prevent war is to be prepared to win one," he said.

"Doing so requires a competitive approach to force development and a consistent, multiyear investment to restore war fighting readiness and field a lethal force."

Mattis's strategy also calls for greater coordination with allies, who Trump on the campaign trail lambasted for not doing enough to share the burden of defending the post-World War II order.

"We expect European allies to fulfill their commitments to increase defense and modernization spending to bolster the alliance in the face of our shared security concerns," Mattis said, in reference to NATO countries paying more into their defense budgets.

The document makes no mention of climate change, which under former president Barack Obama was recognized as a national security threat. Trump has claimed climate change is a hoax and pulled the US out of the historic climate accords in Paris. </s> Defense Secretary James Mattis speaks about the National Defense Review, Friday, Jan. 19, 2018, in Washington. AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin
• Defense Secretary Jim Mattis' National Defense Strategy is the first NDS in a decade.
• The new document recognizes the potential threats from China and Russia.
• The Department of Defense will focus on building a more lethal force, strengthening alliances, and a reformation of the DoD's bureaucracy.



 Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis presented his National Defense Strategy on Friday, outlining how the Department of Defense will carry out President Donald Trump's National Security Strategy, which was released last month.

"Though we will continue to prosecute the campaign against terrorists that we're engaged in today, the great power competition, not terrorism, is now the primary focus of US national security," Mattis said in his opening statements at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.

The new strategy is "fit for our time," Mattis said.

Though he identified a number of threats to the US like North Korea, Iran, ISIS, Hezbollah, and Al-Qaeda, the NDS was focused more on China and Russia.

"We face growing threats from revisionist powers as different as China and Russia are from each other. Nations that do seek to create a world consistent with their authoritarian models," Mattis said.

In the document itself, China and Russia are both mentioned by name in the introduction.

"China is a strategic competitor using predatory economics to intimidate its neighbors while militarizing features in the South China Sea," the document reads. "Russia has violated the borders of nearby nations and pursues veto power over the economic, diplomatic, and security decisions of its neighbors."

The NDS will have three primary parts, Mattis said — building a more lethal force, strengthening alliances and attracting new partners, and a reformation of the DoD for greater performance and affordability.

Donald Trump at a rally with James Mattis, his pick for defense secretary. AP

"Everything we do in the department must contribute to the lethality of our military," Mattis said Friday.

Much of the building up of a more lethal force centers on the modernization of weapons and equipment. However, these modernization efforts are not just focused on battlefield equipment. Nuclear forces, space and cyberspace, missile defense, "advanced autonomous systems," and a resilient logistical supply system will all be important focuses.

Mattis singled out nuclear forces, emphasizing repeatedly that nuclear weaponry was a last resort and calling it a "deterrent."

"It's not a war-fighting capability unless it's the worst day in our nation or world's history," Mattis said.

The DoD will also focus on training and education, especially for any roles focusing on cyberwarfare, according to the NDS.

US Marines with 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, disembark amphibious assault vehicles during Steel Knight 18 at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, December 3, 2017. US Marine Corps/Lance Cpl. Ana S. Madrigal

Mattis noted that in his own combat experience, he never fought in an American-only operation, arguing that the US must fight with strong allies.

New emphasis will be put on being able to work coherently with the military forces of our allies, he said.

Mattis also said that America's allies must contribute as much to security as the US does and that the US cannot shoulder a disproportionate share of the security burden. The comment may have been aimed at the majority of NATO countries who do not invest the required amount of their GDP into defense.

"We expect European allies to fulfill their commitments to increase defense and modernization spending to bolster the alliance in the face of our shared security concerns," the NDS says, so that the NATO can "deter Russian adventurism."

The US Military will also try to find other partners in regions like the Indo-Pacific to work with, according to the NDS.

Reform the Department of Defense for greater performance and affordability

U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis walks past saluting cadets as he arrives for commencement ceremonies at the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York, U.S., May 27, 2017. REUTERS/Mike Segar

Mattis said he plans to cut back against the bureaucracy of the acquisitions process, and the bureaucratic tendencies of the DoD.

"The current bureaucratic approach, centered on exacting thoroughness and minimizing risk above all else, is proving to be increasingly unresponsive," the NDS says. "We must transition to a culture of performance where results and accountability matter."

This seems to be in line with the Trump administration's dedication to cut back on regulations and red tape for businesses.

In a statement that would not have seemed out of place on the battlefield, Mattis said, "If current structures inhibit our pursuit of lethality, I expect service secretaries and agency heads to consolidate. eliminate, or restructure to achieve the mission."

Throughout his speech, Mattis constantly maintained that the US must first use diplomacy to end potential conflicts, and that a strong military was the best way to give strength to the State Department's credibility.

"In everything we say and everything we do, we are reinforcing our diplomats," Mattis said. "We are there first of all to back up the diplomats and then, if push comes to shove" to fight a war. </s> Hours after President Trump threatened North Korea with "fire and fury," the country responded with a threat to attack the U.S. protectorate of Guam to contain the U.S. bases there.

"Such military maneuvers of the U.S. may provoke a dangerous conflict under the present extremely acute situation prevailing on the Korean peninsula," said the Korean People's Army in a statement to the state-run news agency KCNA.

North Korea said U.S. bombers from Guam patrol the skies over South Korea "openly stage actual war drills and muscle-flexing in a bid to strike the strategic bases of the DPRK [Democratic People's Republic of Korea]."

The U.S. and South Korea frequently conduct joint military exercises.

The statement said the U.S. should "immediately stop its reckless military provocation against the state of the DPRK so that the latter would not be forced to make an unavoidable military choice."

DPRK added it's "now carefully examining the operational plan for making an enveloping fire" in Guam using "medium-to-long-range strategic ballistic" missiles.

In response, Madeleine Z. Bordallo, the non-voting U.S. Rep. from Guam, (D-Guam), called the attack reports "troubling" but she wrote that she is "confident that Guam remains safe and protected."

Meanwhile, the U.S. Pacific Air Forces stand ready as they tweeted out a message stating they've joined their counterparts from South Korea and Japanese air forces in sequenced bilateral missions.

Earlier Tuesday, Mr. Trump warned "North Korea best not make any more threats to the United States."

"They will be met with fire and fury like the world has never seen," Mr. Trump told reporters. Kim Jong Un "has been very threatening -- beyond a normal statement. As I said, they will be met with fire, fury and frankly power the likes of which this world has never seen before."

8/8/2017 Related Story: Trump Warns North Korea Will Be 'Met With Fire And Fury'

The threats came hours after a CBS News poll released Tuesday found nearly 3 in 4 Americans are uneasy about the possibility of a conflict with North Korea, and most are also uneasy about Mr. Trump's approach to the situation. Of those polled, 61 percent were uneasy about Mr. Trump's ability to handle the North Korean nuclear situation, while 35 percent were confident in his ability.

The U.S. in May successfully carried out its first-ever missile defense test to intercept an ICBM-type weapon, but other tests have had mixed results.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. </s> WASHINGTON - There is a major change in U.S. military strategy. On Friday, more than 16 years after the 9/11 attacks, U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said terrorism is no longer the No. 1 priority.

Mock ships the size of American destroyers are laid out in China's missile impact test range on the edge of the Gobi Desert. They are the mirror image of the U.S. Navy base in Yokosuka, Japan, headquarters of the 7th Fleet. An impact crater next to one of the mock ships is close enough to have destroyed all three.

Pentagon officials cite analysis by a U.S. Navy officer assigned to a Washington think tank as one of many reasons why China and Russia have replaced terrorism as the primary focus of the new national defense strategy. Maintaining a military advantage over China and Russia is now Defense Secretary Mattis' top priority.

"Our competitive edge has eroded in every domain of warfare," Mattis said. "Air, land, sea, space and cyberspace, and it is continuing to erode."

According to one official, China has increased its defense spending by 10 percent each year for the past 20 years in an effort to counter U.S. abilities to operate in the Western Pacific. A Pentagon report says China "has modernized its conventionally armed missile force extraordinarily rapidly," and a map lists the types of Chinese missiles in range of U.S. bases in Japan.

The targets erected in China's far west include a parked aircraft similar to an American F-22 at Kadena Air Base in southern Japan, hardened aircraft shelters like those at Misawa Air Base in northern Japan and above ground fuel tanks laid out like those at a U.S. military fuel terminal.

America's military advantage has eroded in part because it has been fighting wars for the past 16 years. But Defense Secretary Mattis said "no enemy in the field has done more to harm the readiness of the U.S. military" than the inability of Congress to agree on a budget.
U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis says in a statement “Any threat to the United States or its territories, including Guam or our allies, will be met with a massive military response, a response both effective and overwhelming".