US poised to ‘bloody’ NoKo
The United States is reportedly preparing to deliver a “bloody nose” attack against North Korea to knock out its nuclear-weapons program.
The White House has “dramatically” ramped up its military plans amid fears that diplomacy won’t thwart North Korean despot Kim Jong-un from making good on his threats, sources told the UK’s Telegraph.
One option is destroying a launch site before the rogue regime uses it for a new missile test, while another is targeting weapons stockpiles, according to the news outlet.
The Trump administration hopes that preemptive action would show the dictator the US is serious about stopping his bellicose pursuits and persuading him to negotiate.
The Telegraph cited three anonymous sources, one inside the administration and two former officials familiar with the White House thinking.
“The Pentagon is trying to find options that would allow them to punch the North Koreans in the nose, get their attention and show that we’re serious,” a former US security official said.
President Trump’s decision to launch 59 cruise missiles against a Syrian airfield in response to the country’s chemical weapons attack that killed more than 80 civilians is considered an indication of his resolve, the paper reported.
The current plans indicate that Trump is more willing to use a military option than previously thought.
Last week, Sen. Lindsey Gra- ham (R-SC) told The Atlantic he believed there was a 30 percent chance of Trump using a military option, but that if the hermit kingdom tested another nuclear weapon, that percentage would skyrocket to 70.
One British source who recently attended a briefing with US national security adviser H.R. McMaster and other officials left feeling alarmed by Trump’s mindset, according to the Telegraph.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has pushed for negotiations with North Korea — but has been undercut by Trump, who insulted Kim and described diplomacy as a waste of time.