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Groton Daily Independent
Sunday, Nov. 09, 2017 ~ Vol. 25 - No. 119 ~ 19 of 34
adversaries not to test America’s resolve.
“Japan is a treasured partner and crucial ally of the United States and today we thank them for wel-
coming us and for decades of wonderful friendship between our two nations,” Trump told American and Japanese service members at Yokota Air Base on the outskirts of Tokyo.
Though Trump did not mention North Korea by name during the speech, the spectre of its weapons pro- gram will loom large throughout Trump’s ve-nation Asia trip. The president warned of the consequences of crossing what he called the “most fearsome ghting force in the history of our world.”
“Together with our allies, America’s warriors are prepared to defend our nation using the full range of our unmatched capabilities. No one — no dictator, no regime and no nation — should underestimate, ever, American resolve,” he told the troops.
And while there is worry in the region about Trump’s unpredictable response to the threat posed by Kim Jong Un, Trump made clear he did not intend to tone down his bellicose rhetoric — including dub- bing Kim Jong Un as “Little Rocket Man” — even while in an Asian capital within reach of the North Korea dictator’s missiles.
“There’s been 25 years of total weakness, so we are taking a very much different approach,” he said, speaking to reporters on Air Force One.
Trump will also meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of an upcoming summit in Vietnam.
The easy rapport with Japan could be strained if Trump takes an aggressive approach on trade or the two men disagree on how best to approach the threat looming in Pyongyang. During his campaign, Trump suggested Japan should acquire its own nuclear weapons to defend itself, hinted the U.S. might not come to the nation’s defense, and accused Japan of “killing us” on trade. He has dropped that antagonist language almost entirely since the election, but tensions remain.
Scott Seaman, a director for Asia of the Eurasia Group, a political risk consultant organization, noted: “everything is ne with Trump until you tell him no. So far, Abe hasn’t told him no.”
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Colvin reported from Tokyo. Associated Press writers Ken Moritsugu, James Armstrong and Mari Yama- guchi contributed to this report.
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Follow Lemire on Twitter at http://twitter.com/@JonLemire and Colvin at http://twitter.com/@colvinj
Billionaire prince among dozens arrested in Saudi sweep By ABDULLAH AL-SHIHRI and AYA BATRAWY, Associated Press
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Saudi Arabia has arrested dozens of princes, senior military of cers, businessmen and top of cials, including a well-known royal billionaire with extensive holdings in Western companies, as part of a sweeping anti-corruption probe that further cements control in the hands of its young crown prince.
A high-level employee at Prince Alwaleed bin Talal’s Kingdom Holding Co. told The Associated Press that the royal— who is one of the world’s richest men— was among those detained overnight Saturday. The company’s stock was down nearly 9 percent in trading Sunday on the Saudi stock exchange.
The surprise arrests, which also reportedly include two of the late King Abdullah’s sons, were hailed by pro-government media outlets as the greatest sign yet that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is keeping his promise to reform the country, long been plagued by allegations of corruption at the highest levels of government.
Analysts have suggested the arrest of once-untouchable members of the royal family is the latest sign that the 32-year-old crown prince is moving to quash potential rivals or critics. The prince’s swift rise to power has unnerved more experienced, elder members of the ruling Al Saud family, which has long ruled by consensus, though ultimate decision-making remains with the monarch.
The king named his son, the crown prince, as head of an anti-corruption committee established late