Thumbing his nose at U.N. Security Council Sanctions, North Korean dictator Kim Jong-up played with fire, detonating Sept. 2 a new underground A-bomb test yielding a blast-yield equivalent of 6.3 Richter Scale. Whether or not Kim detonated an A-bomb or thermonuclear device as claimed North Korea’s Official State News Agency [KCNA], it’s of little consequence to Trump national security officials weighing out options. “Any threat to the United States or its territories, including Guam, or our allies will be met with a massive military response, a response both effective and overwhelming,” said Defense Secretary Gen. James “Mad Dog” Mattis. For those doubting that Trump’s bluffing, they need to look no further than Mattis who doesn’t use hyperbole. When Mattis talks of a “threat,” he’s referring to Kim’s capacity to pack an A-bomb into an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile [ICBM].
Nuclear experts continue to debate whether or not Kim detonated a thermonuclear device with a blast-yield 10 times that of the A-Bombs that hit Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. When Mattis talks of “threat,” he’s referring to Kim’s capacity to hit the U.S. or its allies with a nuclear-ready ICBM. Trump warned Kim about “fire-and-Fury” should he continue to threaten the U.S. or its allies. Mattis followed up Aug. 9 that the U.S. military would seek regime change and destruction of the North Korean people should Kim’s threats escalate. Trump told South Korea that the U.S. would not tolerate appeasement, no matter what the risks posed by military action. British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson warned today of millions of casualties in South Korea should Trump follow up with military action. Pentagon officials don’t agree that hitting Pyongyang would result in massive casualties.
With massive assets in the Pacific Rim, the U.S. has the rapid response military capability of neutralizing any North Korean attack Superior air power and precision guided bombs and missiles, from land, air and the sea could quickly neutralize North Korea’s first strike capability. Johnson assumes the U.S. could not pull off a devastating attack on Pyongyang, taking out command-and-control nuclear and conventional sites. “We are not looking to the total annihilation of a country, namely North Korea, but as I said, we have many options to do so,” said Mattis, not concerned about North Korean counter-strikes. Trump drew his red line Aug. 5 when Kim threatened to turn the U.S. into ashes. No nation can threaten another with a nuclear strike without consequences, regardless of all the excuses. Some nuke experts say Kim’s just blowing smoke after U.S.-South Korean war-games.
Promising to crack down on North Korea in the Security Council hasn’t stopped Kim from abandoning his nuclear program. As evidenced by widespread hunger in the North Korean military and civilians, Kim’s prepared to starve his population as long as he gets nuclear weapons. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told China Aug. 1 that the U.S. did not seek regime change or reunification of North and South Korea. Trump told South Korea today that the time for “appeasement” is over, putting South Korea on notice that there’s more at stake than worrying about casualties in the event of a conflict. South Korean President Moon Jae-in expressed hope for a diplomatic solution but ordered his generals to plan “decapitation” strikes should Kim continue to threaten South Korea or it allies. Moon wants peace but knows that Kim seeks nuclear domination of the Korean Peninsula.
Debating the pros and cons of a massive military strike on North Korea, the Pentagon continues to prepare for every contingency. No one wants war. But Trump can’t let Kim get his hands of a nuke-tipped ICBM to threaten and blackmail the U.S. and its allies. KCNA declared today that Kim’s thermonuclear test was a “perfect success,” warning the U.S. and its allies over the inevitability of North Korea’s nuclear power. Whether Kim’s propaganda is true or not, Trump faces a dilemma knowing that a nuclear-armed North Korea would destabilize the Pacific Rim and threaten the U.S. homeland. Kim claims that his nuclear program is designed to prevent a U.S.-South Korean invasion, something the U.S. disputes. Kim has many excuses for developing nukes but the simple reason is to dominate the Pacific Rim and blackmail the U.S. into making concessions.
Putting more pressure on China, or threatening a trade war, won’t stop Kim from developing his nuclear-tipped ICBM. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin unveiled a plan to suffocate North Korea from all goods, especially petroleum. “Stopping all trade with any country doing business with North Korea,” Mnuchin kids himself that stopping all trade with China wouldn’t hurt American business and kill the U.S. stock market more than Kim Jong-un. Stopping about $500 billion a year with China would send Wall Street into the Mother or all nosedives. Trump faces few good options in North Korea but nothing more viable than neutralizing Kim Jong-un. China and Russia understands that North Korea can’t threaten the U.S. with nuclear annihilation without consequences. With over 30,000 U.S. troops in South Korea and powerful military assets in the Pacific Rim, Trump must protect U.S. national security.
