Guam's residents 'unnerved' as island wakes up to North Korea's threats

The inhabitants of Guam were shocked to wake up on Wednesday to the news that they are being targeted by North Korean ballistic missiles, although the local government has reassured local people that the Pacific island is "prepared for any eventuality".

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تاریخ: ۱۸ مرداد ۱۳۹۶ - ۱۰:۴۰

In a release just hours after US President Donald Trump threatened that any North Korean attack would be met with "fire and fury", Pyongyang's state media said its military was "carefully examining the operational plan for making an enveloping fire at the areas around Guam".

The North's threat is to use medium-to-long-range Hwasong-12 missiles and is the latest and most specific threat directed against the US.

Jackie Hanson, a US national living on Guam, told The Telegraph that the situation is "very unnerving".

"This is a small island with limited resources and we rely on imports for pretty much everything", she said. "If anything was to go wrong then it would upset the whole way of life for everyone living here for a long time".

Ms Hanson said she had heard no discussions of people wanting to leave Guam in the face of North Korea's threats, although she conceded that might change if tensions continue to rise.

"The sense right now is that there is concern and that we need to keep up to speed on what is happening, but right now there is no need to take a different course of action", she added.

Eddie Baza Calvo, the governor of Guam, sought to reassure the island's residents.

"I know we woke up to media reports of North Korea's talk of revenge on the United States and this so-called new-found technology that allows them to target Guam", Mr Calvo said.

"I want to reassure the people of Guam that currently there is no threat to our island or the Marianas.

"My Homeland Security advisor, who is in communications with Homeland Security and [the] Department of Defence notes that there is no change in threat level resulting from North Korea events", he said, adding that "there are several levels of defence all strategically placed to protect our island and our nation.

"Additionally, I have reached out to the White House this morning", Mr Calvo said. "An attack or threat to Guam is a threat or attack on the United States. They have said that America will be defended".

Mr Calvo has nevertheless called an emergency meeting of military and political leaders to discuss the readiness of locally based forces and first responders and has promised to pass on information concerning new developments to island residents.

In a statement that appeared to lay some of the blame for the rising tensions on Mr Trump, Congresswoman Madeleine Z. Bordallo said: "While we have heard threats like this in the past, I take them very seriously and continue to engage with our DOD partners to ensure that Guam and our people remain safe.

"However, these recent threats make it imperative for President Trump to work with the international community, especially with China and other stakeholders in the region, to de-escalate these tensions.

"The president’s tweet earlier today is concerning and unhelpful and does not lay out a clear strategy on how he will address the growing threats from North Korea", she said.

"Kim Jong-un's reckless behaviour cannot be tolerated, and I strongly urge the president to explore every avenue to peacefully respond to it and avoid further escalating this situation."

At just over 2,100 miles from North Korea, Guam is home to three key US military installations, including Andersen Air Force Base.

Two US Air Force B-1B Lancer bombers took off from Andersen on Monday to carry out a 10-hour mission in collaboration with Japanese and South Korean air assets. The bombers were escorted over the Korean Peninsula in a show of force aimed at North Korea.