The U. S. is responding to North Korean provocations with the same thinking that has allowed the problem to persist for decades.<\/b>
\nThe U. S. is responding to North Korean provocations with the same thinking that has allowed the problem to persist for decades.
The threat is growing, as North Korea has nuclear weapons and an intercontinental ballistic missile that leading experts assess can strike targets deep into American territory, but the U. S. approach to the North Korea problem remains largely unchanged, probably because the U. S. is uncertain about its options.
Young North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un warned in his New Year\u2019s address that his country was close to testing an ICBM that can deliver a nuclear payload to the U. S. In response, Trump tweeted, \u201cIt won\u2019 t happen!\u201d After that announcement, North Korea continued its steady march to an ICBM unimpeded. North Korea has launched well over a dozen missiles this year, testing new short-, medium-, intermediate-, and long-range missiles. The North has also successfully tested surface-to-air missiles and coastal defense cruise missiles.
\u201cOur problem is that we are scatterbrained, reactive, and have no objective, \u201d Dr. Nicholas Eberstadt, a international security expert at the American Enterprise Institute, explained to The Daily Caller News Foundation. \u201cWe\u2019 re reactive. Who\u2019s in the driver\u2019s seat? Not us.\u201d
North Korean provocations are followed by meaningless ceremonial condemnations, calls for increased international pressure on North Korea with an eye on China and typically a show of force. The problematic cycle repeats itself a few weeks later when North Korea fires off another missile or tests a nuclear device. Lather, rinse, and repeat.
In the wake of North Korea\u2019s second ICBM test Friday, President Donald Trump condemned the test, declaring the North\u2019s actions to be \u201creckless and dangerous.\u201d He later expressed disappointment in China\u2019s failure to resolve the North Korean problem, while U. S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley argued that China must act.
As for the show of force, the U. S. and South Korea conducted a joint precision-firing drill, just as they did after the July 4 ICBM test. The U. S. also dispatched two B-1B Lancers to the Korean Peninsula for exercises with American allies, a response which has become routine after North Korean missile tests.
\u201cThe diplomatic and other efforts of the past 20 years to bring North Korea to a point of denuclearization have failed, \u201d Secretary of State Rex Tillerson declared in March, announcing that the Obama-era policy known as \u201cstrategic patience\u201d has ended.
While continuously stating that all options are on the table, the Trump administration is pursuing a strategy of \u201cmaximum pressure and engagement, \u201d which involves deterrence, sanctions, and increased international pressure.
\u201cRight now, the maximum pressure policy is anything but, \u201d Bruce Klingner, the former chief of the Central Intelligence Agency\u2019s Korea branch and now a senior research fellow for Northeast Asia at the Heritage Foundation\u2019s Asian Studies Center, told TheDCNF, explaining that despite its notably tough rhetoric, \u201cthe Trump administration has not yet distinguished its policy from that of its predecessors.\u201d
\u201cWe\u2019 ll handle North Korea, \u201d Trump said at a Monday cabinet meeting. \u201cWe\u2019 ll be able to handle North Korea. It will be handled. We handle everything.\u201d The Trump administration appears to be pinning its hopes on China, half-hearted sanctions, and tough talk, but no one seems to know what will happen if and when that approach fails.
North Korea has been threatening to launch a devastating nuclear strike on the U. S. for years, often significantly exaggerating its capabilities, but the North is rapidly turning rhetoric into reality.
Further testing is required for North Korea to overcome key obstacles, such as the development of a survivable re-entry vehicle, and field a reliable, nuclear-armed ICBM, but the North will realize its aspirations eventually. The Pentagon assesses that North Korea will develop a nuclear-armed ICBM capable of striking targets across the U. S. as early as next year, two years earlier than previously expected.
The U. S. still has options, but time is running out.
Follow Ryan on Twitter
Send tips to ryan@ dailycallernewsfoundation.org .
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected] .<\/p>\n

\n

Similarity rank: 14<\/div>\n

Sentiment rank: -0.8<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n

TW posts: 3<\/div>\n

TW reposts: 0<\/div>\n

TW likes: 1<\/div>\n

TW sentiment: 0<\/div>\n<\/div>\n