WASHINGTON — House Armed Services Committee member Trent Franks, an Arizona Republican, warned that North Korea has the ability to miniaturize their warheads making it easier for a missile to reach the United States.
“Right now the indications are that North Korea has been able to develop technology to miniaturize their warheads which allows them to put those on missile frames,” he told The Daily Caller Friday. “And they are developing very quickly the missile technology to range the entire United States.”
North Korea claimed it detonated a nuclear warhead Friday that could be mounted on to a ballistic missile. While Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump promised to upgrade the U.S. missile defense system, Hillary Clinton told reporters she wants to see more sanctions placed on communist dictatorship and was open to negotiations with North Korea similar to those the U.S. went forth with Iran.
“North Korea’s fifth nuclear weapons test – its second this year— is a stark reminder of the threat posed by a lawless regime. Furthermore, North Korea has also conducted a record level of ballistic missile tests this year, including an apparently successful test of a submarine-launched ballistic missile,” Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee Mac Thornberry said in a statement. “Now is the time for the Obama Administration to robustly enforce all sanctions tools at its disposal and to redouble its efforts to strengthen security guarantees and defense relationships with unshakable allies like South Korea and Japan. The wisdom and foresight of President Park’s decision to accept the deployment of a U.S. Army THAAD battery is on display today.”
Trump lay the blame of the North Korea’s test squarely at Clinton’s and feet saying at the Values Voters Summit on Friday that it was “one more massive failure from a failed secretary of state.”
Franks applauded Trump for his pledge to upgrade the U.S. missile defense system.
“I was so pleased to hear that Donald Trump was going to upgrade and revolutionize our missile defense capabilities because I think he means it. And it is vital that we do that,” Franks said, later noting that the Bill Clinton’s handling of North Korea in the 1990s is the cause of the present situation with the dictatorship.
The Arizona Republican went on to say, “It won’t be long before North Korea can threaten the United States very effectively. And we need that missile defense –– that capability to prevent that. North Korea and Iran are our biggest threats right now in terms of missile technology. Pakistan, of course, has developed a lot of nuclear warhead capabilities that is very frightening as well.”
He later said, “North Korea would not be in the position they are in today with their nuclear warheads if it hadn’t been for Bill Clinton. And if we elect Mrs. Clinton to the presidency of the United States it ought to make all of us sleep with the lights on.”