Tensions at their worst
U.S. admiral says goal is to bring North Korean leader to his senses, not his knees
WASHINGTON — The senior U.S. Navy officer overseeing military operations in the Pacific said Thursday that the crisis with North Korea is at the worst point he has ever seen, but he declined to compare the situation to the Cuban missile crisis decades ago.
“It’s real,” Adm. Harry Harris Jr., commander of U.S. Pacific Command, said during testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Harris said he has no doubt that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un intends to fulfil his pursuit of a nuclear missile capable of striking the U.S. The admiral acknowledged there’s uncertainty within U.S. intelligence agencies over how far along North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs are. But Harris said it’s not a matter of if but when.
“There is no doubt in my mind,” Harris said.
The Trump administration has declared that all options, including a targeted military strike, are on the table to block North Korea from carrying out threats against the U.S. and its allies in the region. But a pre-emptive attack isn’t likely, U.S. officials have said, and the administration is pursuing a strategy of putting pressure on Pyongyang with assistance from China, North Korea’s main trading partner and the country’s economic lifeline.
Harris said North Korea’s pursuit of an atomic arsenal and the longrange missiles to deliver nuclear weapons comes at the expense of the North Korean people, who are isolated and forced to live with a lifeless economy.
“In confronting the North Korean threat, it is critical that the U.S. be guided by a strong sense of resolve both publicly and privately in order to bring Kim Jong-Un to his senses, not his knees,” Harris said.
Despite the depravity, Harris said it’s a “hollow hope” to think that North Koreans will rise up and topple Kim Jong Un. Harris said Kim Jong Un is revered and considered a “god king” by many North Koreans.
In a show of military might, the U.S. has sent a massive amount of American weaponry to the region. A strike group led by the aircraft carrier is in striking range of North Korea. A U.S. missile defence system, the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defence system, is being installed in South Korea.
Harris said he has adequate forces to “fight tonight” against North Korea if that were to become necessary.
But the admiral said he lacks all the attack submarines he needs and has no capable defence against the thousands of artillery pieces North Korea could launch at South Korea.
Meanwhile, an acute shortage of gasoline in the North Korean capital of Pyongyang that has sparked price hikes and hoarding is raising fears of potentially crippling pain at the pumps if things don’t get better soon — and driving rumours that China is to blame.
The shortage, which is extremely unusual if not unprecedented, began last week when signs went up at gas stations around the city informing customers that restrictions on sales would be put in place until further notice.
With no indication of when the restrictions might be lifted — or why they have been imposed — drivers continue to scramble to fill up their tanks and whatever other containers they can find.
Prices, meanwhile, have shot up. They had been fairly stable, typically at about 70-80 cents a kilogram, but on Wednesday at least one station was charging $1.40. Gasoline is sold by the kilogram in North Korea; one kilogram is roughly equivalent to one litre.