Zeenews Bureau
Washington: Taunting North Korea over its statement that said its missiles could hit US mainland, US has advised North Korea to “feed their own people” rather than bragging about “missile capabilities”.
The sharp satirical retort by the US comes a day after North Korea issued a statement yesterday declaring that it had missiles capable of striking withing the United States mainland and also South Korea, Guam and Japan.
North Korean statement was in turn a reaction to a recent deal struck between the US and South Korea allowing the later to triple the range of its missiles in order to counter North Korea.
Speaking at a news conference, the US State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland said that the North Korean regime should first think about feeding its people rather than flaunting missile technologies.
"Rather than bragging about its missile capability they ought to be feeding their own people, would be our first comment," Victoria Nuland said.
"The DPRK needs to understand that it will achieve nothing by threats or provocations. That's only gonna undermine their efforts to get back into conversation with the international community."
"These changes in missile guidance are defensive in nature. I would note that we haven't changed these ranges or capabilities since 2001 at a time when the North has been very clearly working and boasting about their own capabilities," she said.
The North Koreans know what they need to do if they want to get back into a conversation with the United States. This is boasting about something rather than taking care of the needs of their own people, she said in response to a question.
Nuland’s comment refer to the grim grain harvest in North Korea that has reported a 10% decline in crop production for the year due to flooding and a drought, according to a news report.
North Korea has often been accused of investing a larger chunk of its scarce resources in its military and weapons and ammunitions and hence can hardly feed its 24 million people even in years of good harvest.
With Agency Inputs
First Published: Wednesday, October 10, 2012, 09:06