Posted on 04/18/2017 7:48:07 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
As Pentagon looks for strategies to pressure into denuclearization, officials worry that intercepting missiles could escalate tensions and risk war.
The US military is considering shooting down North Korean missile tests as a show of strength to Pyongyang, two sources briefed on the planning told the Guardian.
As tensions over North Korea’s nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles threaten confrontation in north-east Asia, the Pentagon is looking for ways short of war to pressure North Korea into denuclearization, particularly if Pyongyang goes forward with anticipated sixth nuclear test.
The option, which defense secretary James Mattis has briefed to Congress, has yet to mature into a decision by the military to intercept a tested missile.
One US official said the prospective shoot-down strategy would be aimed at occurring after a nuclear test, with the objective being to signal Pyongyang that the US can impose military consequences for a transgression Donald Trump has said is unacceptable.
But experts and former officials said shooting down a North Korean missile during a test risks an escalation that Washington may not be able to control, one that risks war on the Korean peninsula and potentially devastating consequences to allies South Korea and Japan.
“I would see such an action as escalatory, but I couldn’t guess how Kim Jong-un would interpret it,” said Abraham Denmark, the senior Pentagon policy official for Asia in Barack Obama’s administration.
“But I would be concerned he would feel the need to react strongly, as he would not want to appear weak.”
Both sources said the military was not looking to use the high-profile missile-defense system the US is providing to South Korea, the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (Thaad). Thaad’s 200km range and sophisticated radar have unnerved China, whose president, Xi Jinping, has been coaxed by Trump into pressuring North Korea.
(Excerpt) Read more at theguardian.com ...
“An artillery and missile attack on Seoul would be a likely result and quickly escalate to an all out war. “
Perfect.
Shoot it down and put the ball in Fat Kim’s court.
He doesn’t have the courage to commit suicide.
“We either fight them now or later when they are all nuked up.”
Correct.
Every day that passes is a day too late.
Is it better to have that war now or when they have 100 deliverable nukes?
Cyber ops...?
The NORKS are not able to put a sub off the west coast, even if we were not trying to stop them.
“As Pentagon looks for strategies to pressure into denuclearization, officials WORRY that intercepting missiles could escalate tensions and risk war....”
The PENTAGON is not paid to WORRY......they are also not paid to maintain globalist engineered stalemates......
....(the globalists want to keep the NK nuclear threat in place as the trigger for WWIII....Russia & China just aren’t ready)
That was a long time ago.
And LaWS can be mounted on aircraft so it is much more mobile than Aegis Cruisers/Destroyers.
“An unarmed missile test while provocative should likely not be shot down lease it provoke Kim into all out war. An artillery and missile attack on Seoul would be a likely result and quickly escalate to an all out war. An armed missile launch would be another matter”
More limp-waisted handwringing please.....(that would leave the globalist-engineered stalemate in place)
President Trump: Please do not listen to the globalist advisers you’ve foolishly brought into you Administration.
Tell Kim that if he makes one more threat to us or our allies, we will take him at his word and assume his missiles are armed, his intentions are hostile, and we will therefore initiate appropriate “defensive” actions (e.g., shoot down his missiles). It would also send a message to China that Kim’s threats and intimidation tactics will not be tolerated. It also says this is their last chance to reign him in before we are forced to open up a can of whoop as on this maniac.
But if he remains bellicose, we have established a justification for further actions. If he retaliates in the slightest way, he opens the door to a swift and devastating response that will include demolishing his nuclear facilities. We cannot allow this madman to intimidate us and threaten our allies in the region.
Eventually he will have nuclear weapons capable of his hitting major cities in the U.S. We cannot allow that.
“I wonder though, does firing a missile towards a country constitute an act of war?
In other words, would Japan be justified in retaliating against the DPRK after a successful missile test in the Sea of Japan? “
–———
OF COURSE Japan would be justified.....Does firing a gun at your house constitute a crime if I use reduced gunpowder in the cartridge....?
Shoot it down and put the ball in Fat Kim’s court.
He doesn’t have the courage to commit suicide.
**************
That is a fundamental truth. He is an egomaniacal, delusional bully, but one who will back down like all bullies once confronted with the reality of his own demise and/or diminishment.
China controls Kim.....and China has clearly understood Trumps message. How China works it out with Kim is in their hands. I think time will be given to China to do so....but it won’t be on Kims terms.
China simply wants all to go back to the negotiating table...( giving hand outs to Kim for stopping) until the next time)..Trumps saying no more talks, get Kim to co-operate or we’ll do it our way.
China just wants to save face and keep Kim as his pet
“RE: If we shoot it down and it explodes.....So, we can’t know until we shoot it down then...Which means, we could possibly be shooting down an unarmed missile.....Kim Jong-Un could continue to play us with this by continually launching dud missiles while we waste ours shooting them down....
JUST BOMB EACH LAUNCH SITE, ....no more games......China can go pound sand.
China built and militarized the Spratly Islands, clearly demonstrating its own form of intimidation and aggression in the region. China is probably content to let Kim play his little games. They will put up a facade of cooperation but in actuality they will resist, delay, and stall any efforts to control him all in the hopes of Trump losing political clout in due time.
“Makes you want to go — hmmmm....”
Stuxnet- the sequel?
Don't shoot it down: re-direct it to Iran.
:)
“RE: If we shoot it down and it explodes.....So, we can’t know until we shoot it down then...Which means, we could possibly be shooting down an unarmed missile.....Kim Jong-Un could continue to play us with this by continually launching dud missiles while we waste ours shooting them down....
JUST BOMB EACH LAUNCH SITE, ....no more games......China can go pound sand.
“An unarmed missile test while provocative should likely not be shot down lease it provoke Kim into”
I totally disagree - it is an excellent idea. We want to stop development and testing. We should not care whether there is a dead weight or a warhead in the front. Once he has the missile technology it would be trivial to replace it with a war head. Shooting down a missile stops development. If he gets upset - fine. Also shooting down the missile should not be seen as provocative by the Chinese. If it is then they are not serious about stopping him.
Exactly!!!
Picture a nuke going off in Honolulu or LA and a million dead.
No doubt, some libs would want to run begging to Kim to “please not do that again”. That’s how far this generation has sunk compared to Truman’s generation.
None of us WANT a war with that little bastard but maybe half of us don’t want to just WAIT for him to kill a million of us either! It’s not an easy decision between doing nothing and waiting!
What if he really believes he would win?
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