Entire US Senate to go to White House for North Korea briefing

Top Trump administration officials will hold a rare briefing on Wednesday at the White House for the entire US Senate on the situation in North Korea, senior Senate aides said on Monday.

The White House

Source: AP

All 100 senators have been asked to the White House for the briefing by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats and General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the aides said.

While top administration officials routinely travel to Capitol Hill to address members of Congress on foreign policy and national security matters, it is unusual for the entire 100-member Senate to go to such an event at the White House, and for those four top officials to be involved.

US officials have expressed mounting concern over North Korea's nuclear and missile tests, and its threats to attack the United States and its Asian allies.

WATCH: North Korea warns of all-out war

Trump urges more UN sanctions for North Korea

President Donald Trump criticized North Korea's "continued belligerence" and said its actions were destabilizing during a telephone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday, the White House said

House aides said they were working with the White House to set a similar briefing for members of the House of Representatives

The UN Security Council must be prepared to impose new sanctions on North Korea amid escalating tensions over its missile and nuclear programs, US President Donald Trump says ahead of a lunch with ambassadors from countries on the UN council.



Trump, speaking to reporters on Monday, said the council also failed to act in response to a recent Syrian chemical weapons attack, which he called a "great disappointment"

"The status quo in North Korea is also unacceptable and the council must be prepared to impose additional and stronger sanctions on North Korean nuclear and ballistic missile programs," Trump said

"This is a real threat to the world, whether we want to talk about it or not. North Korea is a big world problem and it's a problem that we have to finally solve," he said.

WATCH: China urges Trump restraint


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2 min read
Published 25 April 2017 2:22am
Updated 25 April 2017 8:23am
Source: Reuters


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