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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/dec/04/us-senator-military-families-should-leave-south-korea-as-threat-of-war-grows
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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| US senator: military families should leave South Korea as threat of war grows | US senator: military families should leave South Korea as threat of war grows |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| The Republican senator Lindsey Graham has called on the Pentagon to move the families of US military personnel out of South Korea, as a senior Trump administration official warned that the potential for war with North Korea was growing by the day. | The Republican senator Lindsey Graham has called on the Pentagon to move the families of US military personnel out of South Korea, as a senior Trump administration official warned that the potential for war with North Korea was growing by the day. |
| The South Carolina senator, who is a member of the Senate armed services committee, also opposed sending any more military dependents to South Korea, which hosts 28,500 US soldiers. | The South Carolina senator, who is a member of the Senate armed services committee, also opposed sending any more military dependents to South Korea, which hosts 28,500 US soldiers. |
| “It’s crazy to send spouses and children to South Korea, given the provocation of North Korea. South Korea should be an unaccompanied tour,” Graham said on CBS’s Face the Nation. | “It’s crazy to send spouses and children to South Korea, given the provocation of North Korea. South Korea should be an unaccompanied tour,” Graham said on CBS’s Face the Nation. |
| “So, I want them to stop sending dependents, and I think it’s now time to start moving American dependents out of South Korea.” | “So, I want them to stop sending dependents, and I think it’s now time to start moving American dependents out of South Korea.” |
| Tensions have risen on the Korean peninsula after more than two months of relative quiet. | Tensions have risen on the Korean peninsula after more than two months of relative quiet. |
| Last week, North Korea test-fired a powerful intercontinental ballistic missile it claims can strike any city on the US mainland and later declared itself a nuclear state. That test came days after Donald Trump had restored North Korea to Washington’s list of state sponsors of terrorism. | Last week, North Korea test-fired a powerful intercontinental ballistic missile it claims can strike any city on the US mainland and later declared itself a nuclear state. That test came days after Donald Trump had restored North Korea to Washington’s list of state sponsors of terrorism. |
| On Monday, North Korean media warned that nuclear war could break out “at any moment” as the US and South Korea began their biggest-ever joint air drills. | On Monday, North Korean media warned that nuclear war could break out “at any moment” as the US and South Korea began their biggest-ever joint air drills. |
| The Rodong Sinmun, the newspaper of the ruling Workers’ party, said the five-day Vigilant Ace exercises, which involve more than 200 aircraft, were “an open, all-out provocation against the DPRK, which may lead to a nuclear war any moment”. | The Rodong Sinmun, the newspaper of the ruling Workers’ party, said the five-day Vigilant Ace exercises, which involve more than 200 aircraft, were “an open, all-out provocation against the DPRK, which may lead to a nuclear war any moment”. |
| “The US and South Korean puppet warmongers would be well advised to bear in mind that their DPRK-targeted military drill will be as foolish as an act precipitating their self-destruction,” it added, using the country’s official title the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. | “The US and South Korean puppet warmongers would be well advised to bear in mind that their DPRK-targeted military drill will be as foolish as an act precipitating their self-destruction,” it added, using the country’s official title the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. |
| While Washington and Seoul insist their military drills are purely defensive, North Korea regards them as a rehearsal for invasion. | While Washington and Seoul insist their military drills are purely defensive, North Korea regards them as a rehearsal for invasion. |
| Graham said he was confident Trump could manage the growing crisis, despite his failure to prevent the North from conducting missile and nuclear tests since becoming president. | Graham said he was confident Trump could manage the growing crisis, despite his failure to prevent the North from conducting missile and nuclear tests since becoming president. |
| In recent months, Trump has exchanged personal insults with the North’s leader, Kim Jong-un, and issued threats to “totally destroy” the country if the US or its regional allies Japan and South Korea were forced to defend themselves. | In recent months, Trump has exchanged personal insults with the North’s leader, Kim Jong-un, and issued threats to “totally destroy” the country if the US or its regional allies Japan and South Korea were forced to defend themselves. |
| “He’s got the best national security team of anybody I have seen since I have been in Washington,” Graham said of Trump, who has vowed to deny North Korea the ability to strike the US with nuclear weapons. | “He’s got the best national security team of anybody I have seen since I have been in Washington,” Graham said of Trump, who has vowed to deny North Korea the ability to strike the US with nuclear weapons. |
| “Denial means pre-emptive war as a last resort,” Graham said. “The pre-emption is becoming more likely as their technology matures. I think we’re really running out of time.” | “Denial means pre-emptive war as a last resort,” Graham said. “The pre-emption is becoming more likely as their technology matures. I think we’re really running out of time.” |
| The senator said attempts by China – North Korea’s main ally and economic partner – to pressure the Pyongyang regime into abandoning its weapons programme had been ineffective. | The senator said attempts by China – North Korea’s main ally and economic partner – to pressure the Pyongyang regime into abandoning its weapons programme had been ineffective. |
| If North Korea conducted another nuclear weapons test, he added, “then you need to get ready for a very serious response by the United States”. | If North Korea conducted another nuclear weapons test, he added, “then you need to get ready for a very serious response by the United States”. |
| Graham’s comments came a day after Trump’s national security adviser, HR McMaster, described North Korea as “the greatest immediate threat to the United States”. | Graham’s comments came a day after Trump’s national security adviser, HR McMaster, described North Korea as “the greatest immediate threat to the United States”. |
| Speaking at the Reagan National Defense Forum in California, McMaster said the risk of war with the North was “increasing every day, which means that we are in a race, really, we are in a race to be able to solve this problem”. | Speaking at the Reagan National Defense Forum in California, McMaster said the risk of war with the North was “increasing every day, which means that we are in a race, really, we are in a race to be able to solve this problem”. |
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