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As Trump threatens North Korea, is US practicing for war?

WASHINGTON (AP) - Does the ominous rhetoric from President Donald Trump and repeated flights by U.S. strategic bombers over the Korean Peninsula mean Washington is readying for what many feel is unthinkable - a military conflict with a nuclear-armed North Korea that would put millions of civilians at risk?

U.S. B-1B bombers flew this week over South Korea with fighter jet escorts from the allied nation. That's become an increasingly familiar show of force to Pyongyang. It could help pilots become more familiar with North Korean air defenses and thus prepare them for a conflict.

White House chief of staff John Kelly said Thursday Americans should be concerned about North Korea's increasing nuclear and missile capabilities, but he tamped down fears of war. He said the North Korean threat is "manageable" for now.

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