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Path to War
UNTO THE BREACH ^ | August 2th 2017 | Colonel Steven B. Vitali USMC (Ret)

Posted on 08/12/2017 4:03:42 PM PDT by Col Vit

The United States is positioned on a trajectory toward a “hot war” with North Korea to end that country’s nuclear intercontinental threat.

To avoid a conflict, only two options are available:

First, the U.S. must strongly demonstrate to China and North Korea by various military, monetary, and strategic actions that America will end North Korea’s nuclear ambitions, even at the cost of a preemptive strike. The objective is to effectively persuade China to act against North Korea’s nuclear intentions.

The second alternative is to abandon the U.S.’s stated-policy of not allowing North Korea (or Iran) the ability to threaten the U.S. with nuclear weapons. This appeasement strategy is now the platform of Democrat politicians who enabled North Korea to sustain and fund their nuclear ambition over the last two decades.

Discredited former National Security Advisor, Susan Rice stated, “The U.S. can tolerate nuclear weapons in North Korea.” Her shocking appeasement appraisal stands in stark and foreboding recognition of the division that divides Americans today. The inability to acknowledge that evil exists in the world and the resilience to confront it and stop it is a departure from American historical precedence.

Rice advocates tolerance of nuclear blackmail as if a policy of mutual deterrence exists.

Kim Jong-un, the North Korean dictator is the embodiment of evil and he cannot be trusted to act rationally. Kim views the U.S. as his mortal enemy and he is willing to harm the U.S. at every turn. Moreover, North Korea has technologically partnered with Iran, a radical Islamic nation and the largest supporter of terrorism against the U.S. in the world.

Pres. Trump’s statement, “They will be met with fire and fury,” has set Democrat politicians and the liberal media empire on fire. Their unabashed hatred of Trump is so overwhelming that in a period of crisis, our nation’s opposition leaders are unwilling or unable to grasp the failure to act and unify behind him during a national foreign crisis.

What would the world look like today if Adolf Hitler, warlord Hideki Tojo and Iraqi pres. Saddam Hussein had not been appeased? We well-remember British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain and his “peace in our time” appeasement strategy with Germany.

How many thousands of civilians were slaughtered by ISIS as Pres. Obama stood idly, too timid and afraid to act as he watched ISIS move across the desert plains unabated?

Should Pres. Trump be forced into war, the sheer ugliness and potential loss of life would be tremendous. Previous presidents negotiated, bribed, and squander precious time in their effort to curtail North Korea’s nuclear ambition ending in complete failure.

Pres. Clinton provided billions of dollars to North Korea that was used to assemble the very nuclear arsenal that threatens the U.S. today. Pres. Obama ignored the reality in North Korea and negotiated an agreement with Iran that eventually will mirror the same outcome as North Korea.

U.S. intelligence on North Korea and Iran has always lagged behind their current capability and once again came up short on North Korea’s capabilities. At some point, Pres. Trump will be forced to arrive at a pivotal decision, one as great as Pres. Kennedy’s Cuba Missile Crisis with the Soviet Union.

If China does not act, a preemptive massive strike against North Korea is warranted. As horrific the outcome in loss of life, cost, and damage, no sane person can advocate for a preventive strike but then again, no sane person with a patriotic duty to defend America can allow North Korea free-reign to threaten the U.S., nor to distribute its nuclear knowledge and materials to other countries that would carry out a potential dirty bomb terrorist attack on the U.S.

Pres. Obama passed North Korea to Pres. Trump for action. Fortunately for all Americans, he is surrounded with the greatest military generals in decades, Generals Mattis, Kelly, McMaster, etc. These professionals will provide Pres. Trump their best available courses of action, recommendations, and counsel.

I trust in their leadership and courage of Pres. Trump to deliberate and arrive at the best decision for the future security of the U.S.

Our nation is at a crossroads. Inaction is a recipe for disaster. The U.S. Intelligence Community estimates that within a few years, North Korea will possess more than a 100 nuclear weapons positioned on intercontinental ballistic missiles and submarine-launched ballistic missile platforms capable of destroying the U.S. It only takes 12 minutes flight time to reach the U.S. once fired and attempting to hit a bullet with a bullet is much harder than a preemptive strike while on the ground. In the future, the potential strike by a nuclear weapon or dirty bomb on American soil becomes just a matter of time.

Americans should pray for Pres. Trump and unify around him in this crisis as one country. Former Presidents Washington, Lincoln, and FDR stood the challenges against horrific circumstances and achieved victory. What would the world look like also had the U.S. remained firm against the aggressions of Russia and China after WWII?

I believe that America does not currently possess the stomach to endure such great loss, but I am not president of the United States with a sworn oath to defend America as his primary mission. I will follow my president’s decision based on the best available information given by our nation’s best flag and general-officers, and I will place faith and trust that God will provide Pres. Trump the wisdom to make the right call.


TOPICS: Editorial; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: korea; nknukes; proliferation; trumpasia; war
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1 posted on 08/12/2017 4:03:43 PM PDT by Col Vit
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To: Col Vit

Currently it looks like the one who stands to suffer most (besides North Korea) in what would probably be the quickest war the world has seen in a long time, isn’t the USA. It’s South Korea. They’re the ones with guns pointed at their heads as hostages.

What is South Korea’s civil defense system like? Are they at least prepared to hole up while North Korea shoots at the surface infrastructure for, maybe, 15 minutes? Maybe even hurls a nuke or two their way? The USA used to be minded to an even worse such scenario during the bad old days of the Cold War.

I think South Korea does have some moral dogs in this fight. They were the culturally closest to North Korea and in the best position to care about the goondom going on there. If while this was going on they just threw up their hands while they enjoyed themselves being oppans (honored older brothers) Gangnam style, well now maybe a trial is coming their way to show their real mettle. With good civil defense, they may suffer minimal population loss and mostly property damage.

But anyhow, Kim Jong-Un has embraced the devil so tight he probably gargles with sulfur now. God is arraying forces against him now. Now if some other muckety mucks in North Korea got a clue, they’d off Kim Jong-Un and sue for peace. But if they are too intimidate, the USA and South Korea and Japan are going to force the issue. And China knows it, and China isn’t going to be able to stop it or want to get into a nuke fight with the USA itself. Not with its best customer.


2 posted on 08/12/2017 4:17:55 PM PDT by HiTech RedNeck (Tryin' hard to win the No-Bull Prize.)
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To: HiTech RedNeck

Am so glad that it will be our politicians that will go to North Korea and fight for us. Thankfully they will take the bulk of DC with them as back up. Keep me posted as to how this works out for them. Goodbye swamp....


3 posted on 08/12/2017 4:21:23 PM PDT by foundedonpurpose
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To: foundedonpurpose

This sounds wry, but I am unsure what you mean.

Donald Trump is commander in chief, and the state of war with North Korea was never, ever called off by Congress. It is the Congress of long ago that set this into motion.


4 posted on 08/12/2017 4:23:54 PM PDT by HiTech RedNeck (Tryin' hard to win the No-Bull Prize.)
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To: Col Vit
I think a decapitation strike is the best course. Do it and then ask if anyone has a problem with it.

A military confrontation would be a mistake because as we have seen before, what ever the current republican president wins today, the next democrat president will give away tomorrow.
So it doesn't make sense to risk brave men to the whims of cowardly appeasers.

5 posted on 08/12/2017 4:26:13 PM PDT by oldbrowser (The swamp will not surrender.)
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To: Col Vit
It's not just the ChiComs to consider, it's also the Russians.

Russia and North Korea declare 2015 a ‘year of friendship’

“The biggest cause for concern is the growing military alliance between Russia and North Korea, with the two regimes recently announcing plans to conduct a series of joint army, navy and air force exercises this year.”

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/northkorea/11463265/Russia-and-North-Korea-declare-2015-a-year-of-friendship.html

________________________________________________________________________________

Russia steps up North Korea support to constrain US

May 17, 2017

“Despite efforts by the United Nations to impose isolating sanctions on North Korea in response to the country’s continued development of nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles, trade between Russia and North Korea soared more than 85 percent in the first four months of the year.”

http://www.dw.com/en/russia-steps-up-north-korea-support-to-constrain-us/a-38867861

_____________________________________________________

From the Sino-Russian Joint Statement of April 23, 1997:
"The two sides [China and Russia] shall, in the spirit of partnership, strive to promote the multipolarization of the world and the establishment of a new international order."

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Central_Asia/HI29Ag01.html
_____________________________________________________

"Joint war games are a logical outcome of the Sino-Russian Friendship and Cooperation Treaty signed in 2001, and reflect the shared worldview and growing economic ties between the two Eastern Hemisphere giants."

http://www.heritage.org/research/commentary/2005/09/war-games-russia-china-grow-alliance

6 posted on 08/12/2017 4:26:50 PM PDT by ETL (Obama-Hillary--REAL Russia-US collusion! (UraniumOne Deal, Missile Defense, Nukes) See my home page)
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To: foundedonpurpose

But as for an ICBM at DC... this is the reason we have SDI. (Hail the memory of Saint Ronald Raygun.) A Russia sized or China sized attack would be harder to totally thwart if possible at all, but this is onesy-twosy stuff. Not really worried here.


7 posted on 08/12/2017 4:27:34 PM PDT by HiTech RedNeck (Tryin' hard to win the No-Bull Prize.)
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To: ETL

The Rooskies can get annoying with their saber rattling, but again they know that while Donald Trump can be cordial, he isn’t a wimp. He’s going to tell the Bear to pound sand if this happens. If it even has a chance to climb out of its burrow before the rubble is bouncing in North Korea.


8 posted on 08/12/2017 4:29:19 PM PDT by HiTech RedNeck (Tryin' hard to win the No-Bull Prize.)
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To: ETL

And if I were Donald, I’d say coolly to Vladimir Putin: “Sure, you can be friends with North Korea. The NEW regime, not the old one.”


9 posted on 08/12/2017 4:32:05 PM PDT by HiTech RedNeck (Tryin' hard to win the No-Bull Prize.)
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To: Col Vit

“Path to War”

I thought he was going to talk about the possible coming Civil War here.


10 posted on 08/12/2017 4:33:06 PM PDT by aquila48
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To: Col Vit

There is simply no question that we must act to stop NK from acquiring nukes, one way or the other.

Be assured, Iran is watching this VERY closely - and not far behind, every other enemy, or would-be enemy, of this country is doing the same. So are our allies, and those that would like to be our allies.

Failure in this goal would be catastrophic from 2 perspectives: First, NK would have its nukes, and would be free to improve them (as in developing reliable smaller nukes that could fit on a missile, and even developing fusion weapons) and also develop both longer-range and more accurate weapons with the necessary characteristics to reliably hit what they are aimed at. Second, any hope of lining up allies behind us in the coming (next several decades) conflicts with China and elements of the Moslem World would be dashed, as would our deterrence against those would-be enemies. Ronald Reagan’s large military build-up, and the willingness to use those forces, helped to collapse the USSR and to deter other enemies for over 20 years, but after 8 years of Obama’s utter weakness and the apparent turning of the entire Democrat Party into a cheering section - if not an actual 5th column - for our enemies, we MUST re-establish our primacy in military affairs and our credibility as the leader of the Free World. Failure is not an option.

So, given that, what will happen? To be sure, that is anyone’s guess. My own personal opinion is that there is a feeling around the world that we are on the way out, but not quite yet...this guy, Trump, sounds a lot like a REAL President when discussing foreign affairs and America’s place in the world. However, they also watch the media, they also talk to politicians on both side who despise Trump, and they sense that he may not have the staying power to make a difference. Now, I happen to disagree, but my disagreement has no impact on how foreign governments evaluate our political situation. As such, I think that some of them will take big risks for what they believe to be big payoffs - and that, therefore, Kim will not back down. He most certainly will NOT give up his nuclear program or his rocket program, even if he shuts his mouth for a little while. China will not do the heavy-lifting for the US - they first of all don’t WANT to and, second, they want to see if we have the WILL to take care of ourselves and our problems. So, someday soon, I think that we’ll be at war in Korea.

I do not think that China will actually lift a finger if we initiate the attack. Why?

1) If they try to intervene, it certainly won’t be for free.
2) If they try to intervene, their export-based economy will soon be looking at exports to the United States that will rival the total dollar volume of 2016 buggy whip sales.
3) If they try to intervene, the roughly $1 trillion of U.S. bonds that they have will be worth roughly the same as a bucket of warm spit, right after President Trump signs a bill to that effect, which would be passed by Congress in about 20 minutes.

Are the Chinese leaders SERIOUSLY going to risk war with the US, plus (best case) very, very serious damage to their economy, all for the lunatic leader of a country that cannot even feed itself? I’m thinking that the answer is “not a chance.” Of course, we’d have to let them know - and not only mean it, but follow through - that we will NOT be trying to take over NK for SK - that NK’s government will have to be replaced and its nuke & rocket programs completely ended (well, whatever is left after the USAF and USN get done with it), but after that we have no great interest in NK - so they will be able to swallow our destruction of NK’s armed forces a bit more easily.

I’m not hoping for a war, but I think that it is coming. FYI, the next New Moon is on August 21. We can’t keep our forces in a high state of readiness forever, and we have our maximum advantage on moonless nights, so draw your own conclusions.

Just my $0.02.


11 posted on 08/12/2017 4:40:25 PM PDT by Ancesthntr ("The right to buy weapons is the right to be free." A. E. van Vogt)
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To: Col Vit

What if it is all a big false flag operation? What if it is all propaganda towards an end in this big game of “risk” played by the puppet master elites who control all the monetary assets in the world and get rich from war? It has historically happened before, why would they not have their hands in this one too? If North Korea truly has nuclear capabilities then Iran for sure does too. Yet in this strategic game of risk the roll of the dice has not sent us to address that one with a battle yet. It’s coming on the next roll of the dice. I have a suspicion we are being played and manipulated in all this...


12 posted on 08/12/2017 4:44:41 PM PDT by Openurmind
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To: Ancesthntr

In this short time frame, North Korea doubtless already has nukes, and even little ones that would fit on one of their new, improved ICBMs that don’t fizzle on the launch pad.

If they doubted Donald Trump’s iron will, they probably aren’t doing that now.

It’s a big thing in the Orient to save face. Kim of his lonesome won’t be able to stop this march into “exactly one of us can win.”

Now here’s where if Vladimir Putin got wise, he’d spirit Kim off to some luxury resort in Russia with all the wine and drugs Kim could ever want, and take credit for installing a new Dear Leader, one that would be kinder than Kim.


13 posted on 08/12/2017 4:44:57 PM PDT by HiTech RedNeck (Tryin' hard to win the No-Bull Prize.)
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To: Col Vit

It seems to me there would be two early warning signs of conventional open combat.

EWS1- n. korea strikes outside its territory (eg s. korea)

EWS2- usa warns foreign nationals to evacuate n. korea

EWS1 is obvious but if USA has intelligence then EWS2 could happen before EWS1.

what next?

maybe wait to see what form of combat n. korea uses and respond in roughly analogous kind, viz- conventional for conventional, and nuclear for nuclear.

if conventional i would expect the usa to use bunkerbusters on all known n. korean silos, full or empty.

if nuclear i would expect usa to bomb all coastal cities, military centers, and pyonyang.

in both cases i would expect usa to cut off all cross border movements at the PRC border with conventional means including paratroopers.

i would expect a conventional war would soon escalate to a nuclear war.

i would expect so korea to bear the brunt of the task of an invasion from the south— probably air strikes followed by paratroopers to the inner mountains, from where they could hit the fortified dmz from behind.

the n. korea subs would be hunted down and eliminated.

basically, the strategy would be quick total victory— if successful, n. korea would cease to exist as a political entity. the key would be to wait until n. korea makes the first move, which would label them as the aggressor in the eyes of world public opinion and (hopefully) make russia and PRC hesitate to come to their support.

there would have been plenty of time for usa, so korea and japan to plan something of this sort.

the stock market would tank until the invasion is complete, and then (if ww iii is avoided) recover.


14 posted on 08/12/2017 4:47:32 PM PDT by SteveH
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To: oldbrowser

If I was the dictator of North Korea I would set up a fake attack on my own capital by a “US State Drone” and release some faked out leaks saying Trump tried to decapitate the communist state. That would set China and Russia on there side! Urge USA to pay 1 billion dollars and pull out of South Korea. A few lives lost could make him king of all Korea. US Media would eat this up as it “proved” Trump is a monster.


15 posted on 08/12/2017 4:55:45 PM PDT by Forward the Light Brigade (Into the Jaws of H*ll Onward! Ride to the sound of the guns!)
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To: SteveH

I believe Donald Trump showing resolve is a lot of the financial picture we see currently. If Wall Street got nervous at the “fire and fury” talk, we couldn’t tell it.

A president with moxie and resolve is not going to be pulling punches like the Bushes and draaaaaaaaaaagging this thing out into an economy suckdown. Even having that corner of the world suffering some nuclear fallout isn’t a huge affair — and the coming rebuild of the Seoul damage AND North Korea will be a big thing. I think Wall Street might barely blink at this.


16 posted on 08/12/2017 4:56:09 PM PDT by HiTech RedNeck (Tryin' hard to win the No-Bull Prize.)
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To: Forward the Light Brigade

It wouldn’t even look like Donald Trump, however.


17 posted on 08/12/2017 4:58:31 PM PDT by HiTech RedNeck (Tryin' hard to win the No-Bull Prize.)
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To: Col Vit

America isn’t going to unify until abortion and gay marriage are outlawed again.


18 posted on 08/12/2017 6:04:34 PM PDT by cmj328 (We live here.)
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To: cmj328

The tide of lies around these things is going to have to turn back before we will see political action.

There are a number of possible answers to the marriage issue. Reductio ad absurdam has been reached here. Why can’t a civil marriage embrace polygamy. Why, in fact, can’t it generalize out to the notion of legal household. While the notion of marriage is separated from the state and left for private entities to define in whatever manner they choose.


19 posted on 08/12/2017 6:54:37 PM PDT by HiTech RedNeck (Tryin' hard to win the No-Bull Prize.)
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To: Col Vit

Appreciate the article - echoes my own thoughts.


20 posted on 08/13/2017 3:44:37 AM PDT by trebb (Where in the the hell has my country gone?)
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