President Trump’s doubling down of his « fire and fury » comment is only encouraging Pyongyang to stay on its current nuclear ‘course.’
President Donald Trump ‘s doubling down on his « fire and fury » comment is only encouraging Pyongyang to stay on its current nuclear weapons « course, » says an arms control expert.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is unlikely to voluntarily give up his nuclear weapons and ballistic missile delivery system — and he probably fears doing so would invite the United States or others to topple his regime.
In the 33-year-old dictator’s view, Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi, Iraq’s Saddam Hussein and Serbia’s Slobodan Milosevic — all leaders who didn’t have nuclear weapons — are examples of how change can be abrupt and often harsh.
« Kim is not nuts, but a student of history, » said Harry Kazianis, director of defense studies at the Center for the National Interest, a Washington think tank founded by former President Richard Nixon. « So was his grandfather and his father as well. »
At the same time, Trump ‘s comment Thursday that his earlier « fire and fury » statement on North Korea may not have gone far enough risks reinforcing Kim’s pro-nuclear stance, according to some experts.
« We’ve got a continuing escalation of threats and a war of words between the two countries, » said Kingston Reif, director of disarmament and threat reduction policy for the Arms Control Association, a Washington-based research and advocacy group.
Added Reif, « And that in my view increases the risk of miscalculation and potential conflict — and just reinforces the North Korean regime’s view that its nuclear weapons are absolutely necessary and it needs to continue on its current course.
