North Korean leader Kim Jong-un looks south during his visit to the Jangjae Islet Defence Detachment and Mu Islet Hero Defence Detachment near the border with South Korea, on March 7,2013. He says he is ready for war. (Reuters)
A Preemptive Strike On North Korea? -- David Maxwell, War On The Rocks
Does it make sense? What comes after? What comes before?
In the spring of 2013, former Director of Central Intelligence James Woolsey raised the specter of North Korea developing the capability to use an electro-magnetic pulse (EMP) weapon against the United States with the prospect that it would destroy vast amounts of infrastructure that relies on access to electricity. He called on the U.S. to prepare for a preemptive strike against North Korea to prevent it from developing this capability, just as former Secretary of Defense William Perry and current Deputy Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter argued for a preemptive strike in a 2006 Time editorial to prevent the North from developing an ICBM and nuclear capability that could threaten the United States.
None of these three distinguished leaders were making these calls lightly and each knew full well the potential consequences. What comes after a preemptive strike must be considered and with this consideration important preparation can be conducted beforehand to either deter or defend against what comes in the aftermath. The purpose of this essay is not to argue for or against a preemptive strike because that decision will be made by the President who has to weigh the cost in blood and treasure of such a decision. It is solely to provide military advice and recommendations on the preparations necessary should the decision be made to conduct such a strike.
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My Comment: Talk about a nightmare scenario .... and one that (fortunately) no one is interested in pursuing.
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