By Thomas WATKINS
A top US admiral said Wednesday that America wants to bring North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un to "his senses," as senators attended an extraordinary briefing at the White House.
Admiral Harry Harris, who heads the Pacific Command, welcomed recent efforts by Beijing to try to defuse soaring tensions between Pyongyang and Washington, and suggested a non-military solution remained the preferred outcome.
"In confronting the reckless North Korean regime, it's critical that we're guided by a strong sense of resolve, both privately and publicly, both diplomatically and militarily," Harris said.
"All options are on the table. We want to bring Kim Jong-Un to his senses, not to his knees."
Meanwhile, all 100 senators filed onto charter buses for a short ride to the White House, after being summoned to receive a classified briefing on North Korea and its nuclear weapons program. The executive mansion is an extremely rare venue for such an event.
The briefing, due to start at 1900 GMT, was being led by Pentagon chief Jim Mattis, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats and General Joe Dunford, who is America's top officer and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
"This shows how serious this is," Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said.
Read the full story at SpaceDaily