MELBOURNE, Australia — North Korea remains “a critical threat to the United States and our allies in Northeast Asia,” while China continues on a sweeping military modernization plan that “includes the development of capabilities to conduct long-range attacks against adversary forces that might deploy or operate in the western Pacific Ocean,” according to the director of the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency.
Lt. Gen. Robert Ashley was testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee on threats to the national security of the United States.
North Korea
On North Korea, Ashley called the isolationist country the United States’ “hardest intelligence collection target.” Unsurprisingly, he also touched on North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s pursuit of nuclear warheads and the ballistic missiles to deliver them against the United States. He specifically noted that in 2016 and 2017, North Korea launched more than 40 short-, medium-, intermediate- intercontinental-range, and submarine-launched missiles, adding that although “flight tests on longer-range missiles in 2016 were marked by multiple failures and setbacks, 2017 saw Pyongyang making advancements.”
Read more ....
WNU Editor: The U.S. may have problems obtaining information on North Korea, but I would not be surpirsed if South Korean and Chinese intelligence are on top with what is happening in North Korea, and they are feeding that intel to the U.S.. As for us .... the public .... we have to read this ....U.S., South Korean intelligence probe reports of Kim Jong Un health woes (FOX News).
1 comment:
Perhaps the South Koreans are useful after all. There may actually be some benefit to us in putting up with what appears to be their abuse of us for many decades. Maybe it is worth it to get this intelligence. Perhaps I owe the South Koreans an apology.
If the Chinese are in fact sharing intelligence with us on North Korea, this would be amazing. Getting China and Russia to agree to sanctions is pretty amazing in and of itself. Then North Korea indicates a willingness to negotiate.
The only new variables are sanctions. the fact that the US now has a POTUS who is a highly skilled negotiator. and Candidate Trump rightly called out South Korea. Such calling out very likely conveyed a simple message which could be interpreted as follows. "United States support is not unconditional and we will not be your b!tch boy!!" As such, the reality of the sanction and the fact that the US now has a skilled negotiator as POTUS who has shown a willingness to unapologetically represent America's interests in foreign affairs has provided strong incentive for North Korea to get serious about negotiating. Properly calling out South Korea has likely given them incentive as well as they have to now know the US military will not always be willing to serve as an arm of their policy.
Post a Comment