Mattis Says Conflict with North Korea Would Be ‘Catastrophic’

North Korea fired a ballistic missile early Monday, hours after the head of the Pentagon expressed worry about what war with the communist would look like. US Defence Secretary James Mattis said that any military conflict with North Korea would be ‘catastrophic’. Mattis claimed North Korea was a threat to the surrounding region, including Japan, China and Russia. He also claimed it was a direct threat to the US. “A conflict in North Korea would be probably the worst kind of fighting in most people’s lifetimes,” Mattis told CBS News.