Pentagon terms North Korea's threat to wipe out US as 'silliness'

Washington, June 25 (ANI): The US Defence Ministry has shrugged off a threat from North Korea to wipe America off the map, as silly on the part of the Communist regime of the country.

North Korea made the threat as a US destroyer trailed a North Korean ship suspected of transporting illicit weapons to Myanmar in what could be the first test of UN sanctions passed to punish the nation for an underground nuclear test last month.

"I don't even know how to respond to that. It's silliness. For what and with what?" FOX News quoted Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell, as saying.

The spokesman discounted the threat from the communist nation, and defended Defense Secretary Robert Gates decision to move the THAAD system to Hawaii along with the massive SBX radar system.

"I don't think he would have deployed that THAAD if he didn't think there was a reason to do so," he said.

Tensions have been high since North Korea walked away from nuclear disarmament talks and warned it would fire a long-range missile.

American officials have said it would take at least three to five years for North Korea to pose a real threat to the US west coast.

A senior defense official said on Wednesday that the "Tapeodong 2 potentially has the range to reach Hawaii."

He also said he was very confident these deployed missile defenses have the capability to take out any missile the North may launch. (ANI)