There will have to be military action if North Korea is to be stopped
SIR – I was taught that you must never make a threat you do not mean to carry out if your stated conditions are not met.
President Donald Trump must have sought the opinions of America’s allies before he uttered his ultimatum to North Korea. The nuclear aspirations of North Korea’s despotic leader can only increase as the present war of words continues. It is considered by the UN to be essential that this rogue nation be stopped dead in its tracks.
With South Korea protected as far as is humanly possible by US defence systems, the sooner comprehensive military action is taken the better. Graham Philips
Ripon, North Yorkshire
SIR – Boris Johnson, the Foreign Secretary, is right to warn of the consequences of a pre-emptive strike against North Korea. Areas of South Korea would indeed be vaporised in retaliation.
It is a sad fact that North Korea has been allowed by the West to reach its current terrifying level of competence. Had action been taken when it was obvious that North Korea was developing such weapons we would not be in this position now.
Indeed it is a Catch-22 scenario. America and its allies dare not take action to remove North Korea’s nuclear weapon capability because of the risk that Kim Jong-un would retaliate and then blame the West. Simon Lever
Winchester, Hampshire
SIR – It is unthinkable, but we are closer to nuclear war in the Far East than ever. The dictatorship in North Korea, where one man holds the lives of his people and those in neighbouring countries in contempt, cannot be allowed to continue.
Diplomacy having apparently broken down, further verbal threats are unlikely to avert disastrous results, so, regrettably, there can be but one alternative and that is regime change.
I am sure that there are already plans in place and trust that there will be no further delay in the deployment of special forces to North Korea to remove the cause before it is too late. Lt Col Richard King-evans Hambye, Manche, France
SIR – David Lowry (Letters, September 4) is right to warn about the dangers of a military strike against North Korea. But why send a message to Kim Jong-un that this is not a possibility? That is the best news he could get.
Boris Johnson was right to say that “all options are on the table”. Ken Jones
Hambledon, Hampshire
SIR – In 1941 American rhetoric led Japan to feel it had no choice but to order the pre-emptive strike at Pearl Harbor.
The nuclear situation in North Korea has been developing despite years of international condemnation.
With the sabre rattling by Donald Trump, will history repeat itself? Gareth Evans
Chippenham, Wiltshire