- Joined
- Jun 21, 2016
"The U.S. is prepared to launch a preemptive strike with conventional weapons against North Korea should officials become convinced that North Korea is about to follow through with a nuclear weapons test ... The intelligence officials told NBC News that the U.S. has positioned two destroyers capable of shooting Tomahawk cruise missiles in the region, one just 300 miles from the North Korean nuclear test site. American heavy bombers are also positioned in Guam to attack North Korea ... Pentagon announced that the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier strike group was being diverted to the area ... The U.S. strike could include missiles and bombs, cyber and special operations on the ground ... The danger of such an attack by the U.S. is that it could provoke the volatile and unpredictable North Korean regime to launch its own blistering attack on its southern neighbor ... On Wednesday, North Korea said it would 'hit the U.S. first' with a nuclear weapon should there be any signs of U.S. strikes ... On Thursday, North Korea warned of a 'merciless retaliatory strike' should the U.S. take any action ... 'By relentlessly bringing in a number of strategic nuclear assets to the Korean peninsula, the U.S. is gravely threatening the peace and safety and driving the situation to the brink of a nuclear war,' said North Korea's statement ... 'Two things are coming together this weekend,' said retired Adm. James Stavridis ... 'One is the distinct possibility of a sixth North Korean nuclear weapons detonation and the other is an American carrier strike group, a great deal of firepower headed right at the Korean Peninsula' ... The U.S. is aware that simply preparing an attack ... increases the danger of provoking a large conflict ... 'It's high stakes,' a senior intelligence official directly involved in the planning told NBC News ... 'Its a feat that we've never achieved before but there is a new sense of resolve here,' the official said ... The threat of a preemptive strike comes on the same day the U.S. announced the use of its MOAB ... Moscow has weighed in as well: 'We are gravely concerned about Washington's plans regarding North Korea, considering hints about the unilateral use of a military scenario' the Putin government said ... Implementation of the preemptive U.S. plans, according to multiple US officials, depends centrally on consent of the South Korean government. The sources stress that Seoul has got to be persuaded that action is worth the risk, as there is universal concern that any military move might provoke a North Korean attack, even a conventional attack across the DMZ ... the Chinese made an important gesture at the UN Thursday: A surprising abstention on a Security Council resolution condemning a Syrian chemical weapons attack. China didn't stand with the Russians on Syria, as it has in the past. The president also made clear that if the Chinese were unable to defuse the situation, the U.S. would go to alone. On Thursday, he tweeted: 'I have great confidence that China will properly deal with North Korea. If they are unable to do so, the U.S., and its allies will!'"
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/u-s-may-launch-strike-if-north-korea-reaches-nuclear-n746366
Note in particular:
US Threatens Preemptive Attack Against DPRK, Two DDGs in Position, "It's High Stakes" Says USIC, Will Be "Feat We've Never Achieved Before;" DPRK Warns of "Merciless Retaliatory Strike," Russia Says "Gravely Concerned"
As a side note, the fact that PRC didn't veto at the UN is also very interesting, as PRC had recently suggested that they should stand together at the UN, voting in step with one another. This was part of Xi's proposal for a "fairer world order," as presented to Putin.
Related:
http://www.defconwarningsystem.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=60&t=9323
http://www.defconwarningsystem.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=60&t=9295
