Top US General Dunford warns of ‘nasty’ N. Korea conflict, cites diplomatic efforts

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Joe Dunford warned Tuesday that any war with North Korea would be “nasty,” saying America still hopes to find a peaceful solution to the crisis. The Pentagon’s role is to bolster diplomatic efforts by providing a clear message about US warfighting capabilities, AFP quoted the US military’s top officer as saying. “Right now, the military dimension of the problem is reinforcing Secretary [of State Rex] Tillerson’s economic and diplomatic pressure campaign,” Dunford told reporters after he visited US Marines temporarily deployed to an Australian air force base in Darwin. Dunford added the US seeks a peaceful outcome to the crisis over North Korea’s push to develop intercontinental ballistic missiles. However, he said President Donald Trump has asked him and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis for a “full range” of military options.