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NBC News: U.S. May Launch Strike If North Korea Reaches For Nuclear Trigger

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I

iMax

Member
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, multiple senior U.S. intelligence officials told NBC News.

North Korea has warned that a "big event" is near, and U.S. officials say signs point to a nuclear test that could come as early as this weekend.

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 should it be necessary, and earlier this week, the Pentagon announced that the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier strike group was being diverted to the area.

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.

"The leadership in North Korea has shown absolutely no sign or interest in diplomacy or dialogue with any of the countries involved in this issue," Victor Cha, the Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies told NBC News Thursday.

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 US is gravely threatening the peace and safety and driving the situation to the brink of a nuclear war," said North Korea's statement.

North Korea is not believed to have a deliverable long-range nuclear weapon, according to U.S. experts, nor does it yet possess an intercontinental missile.

South Korea's top diplomat said today that the U.S. would consult with Seoul before taking any serious measures. "U.S. officials, mindful of such concerns here, repeatedly reaffirmed that (the U.S.) will closely discuss with South Korea its North Korea-related measures," foreign minister Yun Byung told a special parliamentary meeting. "In fact, the U.S. is working to reassure us that it will not, just in case that we might hold such concerns."

"Two things are coming together this weekend," said retired Adm. James Stavridis, former commander of NATO and an NBC analyst. "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, even if it will only be launched if there is an "imminent" North Korean action, increases the danger of provoking a large conflict, multiple sources told NBC News.

"It's high stakes," a senior intelligence official directly involved in the planning told NBC News. "We are trying to communicate our level of concern and the existence of many military options to dissuade the North first."

"It's a feat that we've never achieved before but there is a new sense of resolve here," the official said, referring to the White House.
Click to expand...

Implementation of the preemptive U.S. plans, according to multiple U.S. 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.
Click to expand...

Much more here.
 
X

Xando

Member
So tomorrow?

Rumor has it the test is supposed to be saturday morning NK time that would leave ~24 hours.
 
Autoignition

Autoignition

Member
Implementation of the preemptive U.S. plans, according to multiple U.S. officials, depends centrally on consent of the South Korean government.
Click to expand...

IDON'TBELIEVEYOU.GIF

please please please god all the friends i left behind in south korea please let them be ok
 
S

Sojgat

Member
wJiwJCm.gif
 
L

Lautaro

Member
Good luck, South Korea.

I just hope the U.S. military is doing things at their own pace and not letting Trump rush them.

EDIT: It would feel like normal posturing if they talked about preventing a nuclear attack but they are talking of a nuclear test. This feels different than the past. Is a single carrier group enough? I think this needs everything involved even the neighbors.
 
T

tapedeck

Do I win a prize for talking about my penis on the Internet???
I think Trump needs to sit down, take a deep breath and seriously think about the pros/cons of taking this action....

who the fuck am I kidding
 
T

thedan001

Member
My father in law is stationed in South Korea mostly working with intelligence, he's been involved with this stuff for the last few years.

Hope it's nothing, but it's Trump.
 
I

Inuhanyou

Believes Dragon Quest is a franchise managed by Sony
Lautaro said:
Good luck, South Korea.

I just hope the U.S. military is doing things at their own pace and not letting Trump rush them.
Click to expand...

Lol.

You think this happening when Trump is in power is a coincidence? These defense contractors now own this shit and have to answer to nobody, they are going to do whatever they like and then say the other guy started it or obfuscate their involvement.

"Preemptive strikes" means striking first after all. Iraq on steroids.
 
Z

zethren

Banned
Trump wants a legacy, and a new military conflict with NK would certainly provide him that. Fuck that shit, though. This is stupid.
 
L

littleworm

Member
I'm gonna go out on a limb and say "prepared" is the operative word. Launching any strike with the current resources we have deployed in the region would be asinine.
 
L

Lil'DigiOp

Member
We'll see......

Ironically, I think Trump is waiting to bomb them anyway, he just wants a reason.


If it happens though, This war would be different.


It would be the one war that started because an idiot was in charge and I hope the people who end up supporting it understand that.
 
E

Effect

Member
Once again he gives no fucks about South Korea or anyone else in that area. No way in hell China said anything approaching an okay with any thought in this direction. He does not seem to understand at all that the US is not in danger of NK. At least we're not high on the list. Everyone else in that area is and you don't go poking madmen that might actually do what you're trying to avoid.
 
J

jstevenson

Sailor Stevenson
Kin5290 said:
We do remember that North Korea has enough artillery in place to level Seoul, right?
Click to expand...

yeah, hence why we won't do anything unless the South Koreans consent.

Seoul is super close to the DMZ, and the DMZ is basically the front lines of a frozen war. It's pretty wild in person
 
H

Heckler456

Banned
Just curious, because I know this is some super paranoia type bullshit. But how possible would it be for North Korea or Russia or whatever to nuke Brussels? Does Europe have any type protection against that kind of shit?
 
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