The United States may be preparing what has been dubbed a “bloody nose” attack on North Korea to destroy or severely disable its nuclear weapons program.
Sources for Western media said that the Trump administration is increasingly convinced that diplomacy, as has been the case in the past, won’t convince Pyongyang to give up its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, necessitating a strike.
One option is destroying a launch site before the rogue regime uses it for a new missile test, while another is targeting weapons stockpiles, sources claim.
Officials within the Trump administration hope that such a use of force will convince leader Kim Jong-un of the White House’s seriousness in its earlier pledge to use military force if need be to destroy the regime and along with it, the weapons threats.
Trump administration officials also hope such a strike would convince Kim to come to the negotiating table.
“The Pentagon is trying to find options that would allow them to punch the North Koreans in the nose, get their attention and show that we’re serious,” a former US security official briefed on policy said. [source]
(Analyst comment: I just want to say quickly here that if North Korea were to conduct an above-ground nuclear test, as Kim has threatened to do, I believe that would prove too much for Trump. I base that on close coverage of this issue for several months now, and the comments and attitude of his national security team, as well as some members of Congress.
Oh, and I also believe this was leaked intentionally to get Kim’s attention. Just my personal view.)
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