North Korea has tested another missile and initial indications suggest that it has the technical capability of reaching Washington, D. C.
North Korea has tested another missile and initial indications suggest that it has the technical capability of reaching Washington, D. C.
More importantly, and yet unreported, is the type of fuel used, the demonstrated payload capacity and the associated warning time of impending launch detected by intelligence assets. Within this data is the knowledge of how close the North Koreans are to achieving global nuclear strike capability.
Regardless of whether data of the necessary granularity to understand North Korea’s technical capability is ever released to open sources, little has changed in the strategic stand-off with the reclusive regime. North Korea continues to steadily march toward combining a nuclear warhead with advanced ballistic missile technology.
What we have learned from the recent launch is that U. S. diplomatic efforts with China to rein in their North Korean proxy, even if successful at the level of the interlocutor, are ineffectual in practice. It is also clear that strong language from administration officials has not had the desired outcome of tempered North Korean behavior.
Thus, U. S. options to directly limit North Korean nuclear and ballistic missile technology advances — preemptive tactical nuclear strike, preemptive conventional attack or significant blockade — remain limited and are fraught with predictable and unforeseen negative consequences as discussed in my previous piece in this publication on this subject. Indirect methods remain the only viable options.
The U. S. must remain steadfastly committed to a denuclearized North Korea.
