BASH: North Korea is lobbing some fiery new allegations at the United States. It says the U.S. is preparing for an invasion, pointing to what the north says are U.S. troop movements in the region. The country's main newspaper says they amount to a criminal plot to unleash war and says it's happening as the U.S. negotiates quote "with a smile on its face." CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr is with us. And Barbara, first of all, what are these maneuvers the north is referring to? And what is the Pentagon saying?</s>BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, right now the Pentagon is certainly not sure what the North Koreans are talking about. Let's get right to it. In fact, a U.S. military spokesman says as far as U.S. operations out of Japan go, and let me quote, "this spokesman says in general U.S. aircraft and ships operate from Japan every day in support of our commitments to our allies and partners in the region and in the interests of regional peace and security." So standard U.S. military operations in the area. There is no indication that the U.S. is planning to invade Pyongyang, invade North Korea, that simply is not happening. Of course the deeper question would be why Kim Jong-un is having this new round of fiery rhetoric. It comes days after President Trump cancelled the planned visit by secretary of state Mike Pompeo to North Korea. Not a lot of progress on denuclearization and that is what everybody is still looking for -- Dana.</s>BASH: Me thinks you just answered your own question, right? It's because the negotiations were cancelled. Maybe there's a little bit of frustration on both sides, but particularly North Korea. Thank you so much, Barbara, for that report.</s>STARR: Sure.</s>BASH: And up next, Senator John McCain was many things. He was a war hero, a patriot, a maverick. But I bet you didn't know he was a really big fan of the '70s Swedish pop group, Abba.
North Korea is lobbing some fiery new allegations at the United States