Quote:
Originally Posted by New Era
Sounds to me like he's laying the groundwork for a preemptive strike. This guy is crazy enough to ask to use a nuke too. This could get ugly quickly.
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It could, and the confusion around the Carrier group highlights how things could accidentally spiral out of control if a low-level engagement were to occur.
Make no mistake though, North Korea's equipment is older that the Iraqis and any confrontation would be extremely one-sided. NK could do a lot of damage to Seoul and some to Japan, but their military would be decimated very very quickly, especially if they were to cross the border.
They would be much tougher on defence, but the military outcome is not a question. The question is, what will China find acceptable?
It's really tough, because a regime like NK's having a nuclear device on a reliable ICBM really is not acceptable. Not to mention that they are a regime that is as savage to their own population as any. A pre-emptive strike (with China's support) with an agreed upon end-state might be the best option...out of a bunch of crappy options.
The worst would be a strike that upsets China, has no long-term strategy and is launched more for domestic distraction reasons..