TAMUNING, GUAM – North Korea’s vow to strike this U.S. Pacific territory with ballistic missiles that could potentially be armed with nuclear warheads has this island in the cross hairs and its 160,000 residents, most of whom are U.S. citizens, on edge.
“I mean, obviously for me, because I’m a father, it’s really concerning,” said 29-year-old Guam resident Jacob Martinez.
That concern was underscored Friday by Guam Homeland Security spokeswoman Jenna Gaminde, who said island residents would have just 14 minutes to take cover once North Korea fired the four promised ballistic missiles.
WHERE IS GUAM AND WHY WOULD NORTH KOREA ATTACK IT?
“There is not a whole lot we can do,” said John Bell, who’d just arrived in Guam from a week in San Diego. “If we are going to get nuked, nothing I do or say is going to change anything.”
Guam Homeland Security spokeswoman Jenna Gaminde said island residents would have just 14 minutes to take cover once North Korea fired the four promised ballistic missiles. (Reuters)
Residents offered a range of opinions, from resignation and complacency to anxiety and fear. But, more than anything, residents said they felt unsettled.
“It is a little concerning,” said a woman visiting Guam for the first time from Ohio. “I think when the two heads of state get together, I hope they won’t do anything stupid.”