Pre-emptive Strike - military action taken by a country in response to a threat from another country (the purpose of it is to stop the threatening country from carrying out its threat).
The United States and North Korea have no formal diplomatic relations. However, due to continuous threats, the White House appears to be losing patience persuading the nation with softer efforts to abandon its nuclear weapons program. However, unlike the Bush and Obama administration, the Trump administration is openly threatening North Korea. Not only is he threatening to protect the United States National Security, but he is also openly referring to a pre-emptive military strike (Although Donald Trump is considering this option, he places it amongst the most unlikely options due to the high risks that follow).
Also on April 15, 2017, North Korea's government threatened the United States with nuclear war, held a massive military parade, and fired four anti-ship missiles into the Korean Peninsula. Shortly after, the Trump Administration had ordered the United States Navy to deploy an aircraft carrier strike group to the waters of North Korea. Vice President Mike Pence had also visited the North Korean border to warn the nation that the White House's "strategic patience" has ended (This comment was interpreted as a military threat).
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| A submarine missile is paraded across Kim II Sung Square during a military parade in Pyongyang, North Korea on April 15th, 2017. |
A few days later, Kim Jong-un, North Korea's supreme leader, had said "The American bastards must be quite unhappy after closely watching our strategic decision. I guess they are not too happy with the gift package we sent them for the occasion of their Independence Day. We should often send them gift packages so they won't be too bored."
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Kim Jong-un celebrates with military officials after
missilelaunch, on July 3rd, 2017. Photograph: KCNA/Reuters
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Roh Jae-cheon, a spokesman for South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staffs told reporters, "We assess that North Korea intended to show off its various missile capabilities, display its precise targeting capability, in the form of armed protests against ships in regard to US Navy carrier strike groups and joint naval drills." In other words, North Korea has been intentionally launching "test missiles" to intimidate and threaten the United States.
Links for a Further Understanding:
North Korea Claims Successful Test of Intercontinental Ballistic Missile - from www.theguardian.com
North Korea profile - Timeline - from www.BBC.com
U.S. to Bar Americans From Traveling to North Korea - from www.nytimes.com
Lawmakers Demand Stronger Trump Response After North Korean Missile Test - from www.politico.com
North Korea Puts on a Show for Day of the Sun - from www.CNN.com
Discussion Questions:
- Do you trust President Donald Trump to keep the United States out of a major war with North Korea?
- Is President Donald Trump a capable military leader? Do you think he will be able to handle the pressure of a possible war?
- Do you think North Korea will start a major war with the United States?
- How should President Donald Trump and the White House respond to North Korea's aggression?
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