While Trump has demonstrate a remarkable inability to understand ‘rest of world’ he has been especially kind to demonstrate naivety towards to Korean peninsula as a whole. He may just end up igniting the Korean peninsula to a point of no return.
Following are a few points that he ought to know before any more public demonstration of US power in the region.
1. US cannot protect South Korean capital city in an event of a war
The fact that Seoul has been in target of 40,000 artillery pieces has always prevented US from taking a direct action against north. With or without nuclear weapons – destruction of the city and death of its millions of inhabitants is almost guaranteed. US failed to stop nuclearization of the hermit state for this very reason and nothing has changed to prevent that.
2. There are no more sanctions left to apply on DPRK
All forms of sanctions that could have been applied in the communist state have been applied. There is nothing left to squeeze. The population of the country sees its leadership as a hero that leads them in the hardships and not a villain causing it. Applying more sanctions only helps Kim Jong-un and not the other way round
3. Taking out the North Korean Leadership is very, very difficult
World didn’t had a decent picture of Kim Jong-un till the time the time he came to power. Even today the best the intelligence agencies could do is to guess about the first family of North Korea. An assassination of the leadership implies that US know who all form the leadership in the first place. The assumption is highly debatable.
4. DPRK is not going to give up its nuclear weapons
Its simple logic, as long as DPRK has nukes, no one is going to attack them. May be it can allow the country to get its citizens first instead of Army first principal. Also every nation that gave its nukes up has been betrayed by bigger powers. From Ukraine to Libya, if one gives away nukes, they give away their sovereignty.
With these background, getting on with a military readiness in full public glare is akin to lighting matches while standing on a powder keg. Mistake of a single operational commander can quickly escalate to an all-out war. Even if F-35s need to be there, it’s not required for the press to know, if the Special Forces are being mobilized – press should not know, and most importantly, President of US should have dignity to not treat another head of state like a twitter troll.
The situation needs calming down and private conversation. Sticks haven’t worked, perhaps, its time for carrots.
