The United States is drawing up plans for a “bloody nose” military attack on North Korea to stop its nuclear weapons program, The Telegraph reported on Wednesday.
The White House, State Department and Pentagon would not comment.
Sources told the newspaper that the White House has “dramatically” stepped up preparation for a military solution in recent months amid fears diplomacy is not working.
One option is destroying a launch site before it is used by the regime for a new missile test. Stockpiles of weapons could also be targeted.
The hope is that military force would show North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un that America is “serious” about stopping further nuclear development and trigger negotiations.
Three sources, including two former U.S. officials familiar with current thinking and a third figure in the administration, confirmed military options were being worked up.
“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", said one former official briefed on policy.
President Donald Trump’s decision to bomb a Syrian government airfield earlier this year to defend America’s “red line” on chemical weapons use is seen as a blueprint. The Trump administration is reportedly more willing to consider military options to end the conflict than widely assumed.
Pressure to act comes from the drop in estimated time it will take for North Korea to develop a missile that could hit America with nuclear weapons, noted The Telegraph. READ MORE
