PACOM Commander Confirms North Korea’s Threat to Hawaii
MEDIA RELEASE VIA THE OFFICE OF REP. TULSI GABBARD
Washington, DC — In a House Armed Services Committee hearing today, Admiral Harry Harris, Commander of the U.S. Pacific Command (USPACOM), confirmed the threat of North Korea to Hawai‘i and detailed potential vulnerabilities that exist within current U.S. missile defense capabilities that could put Hawai‘i at risk.
Asked by Rep. Tulsi Gabbard about the threat of North Korea to Hawai‘i specifically, Admiral Harris stated, “Kim Jong-un is clearly in a position to threaten Hawai‘i today…Our ballistic missile architecture is sufficient to protect Hawai‘i today, but it can be overwhelmed. If Kim Jong-un or someone else launched ballistic missiles—ICBMs—against the United States, we would have to make the decision on which ones to take out or not.”
Following the hearing Rep. Tulsi Gabbard said, “Hawai‘i is home to the largest concentration of U.S. military strategic assets for well over 3,000 miles, making it a prime target for North Korea’s aggression. As I travelled across Hawai’i during my recent state-wide town hall tour, I heard from my constituents on every island their concern about the threat posed by North Korea’s increased nuclear and ballistic missile activity and capabilities that place Hawai‘i squarely within North Korea’s crosshairs. It is the people of Hawai‘i and our way of life that are at risk if North Korea’s missiles turn towards our shores. Admiral Harris’ testimony today affirmed the seriousness of this threat, and highlighted the need to strengthen our current missile defense infrastructure to ensure the defense of Hawai‘i. I’m continuing this urgent push to strengthen the protection of Hawai‘i against the threat that exists today, and the complex threat we know will emerge in the future. I urge my colleagues to take this threat seriously and provide the resources and tools necessary to defend Hawai‘i against this threat.”
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