CABINET/FOREIGN POLICY/JAMES MATTIS/NORTH KOREA: “U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis promised an ‘effective and overwhelming’ response to any use of nuclear weapons against America or its allies, delivering a firm message to North Korea during his first overseas trip.
Mr. Mattis said during a meeting Friday with South Korean Defense Minister Han Min-koo that the U.S.’s defense commitment was ‘ironclad’ in the face of Pyongyang’s ‘threatening rhetoric and behavior.’ “
– Jonathan Cheng, “U.S. Promises ‘Effective and Overwhelming’Response to Use of Nuclear Weapons,” The Wall Street Journal online, Feb. 3, 2017