US Politics - Trump cancels summit having to do with North Korea

Garth wrote:Yeah I think the major concern is what NK would do to SK in retaliation. No-one wants to trigger a war that could cause so much death and destruction.

Alvin Flummux wrote:

Garth wrote:Yeah I think the major concern is what NK would do to SK in retaliation. No-one wants to trigger a war that could cause so much death and destruction.

Not without some safeguards in place to mitigate the opposition's field capabilities, like a wave of MOAB strikes on NK artillery positions and advancing army groups, or something.

That million man army would be tough to kill off without some serious force multipliers though.

Return_of_the_STAR wrote:

Alvin Flummux wrote:

Garth wrote:Yeah I think the major concern is what NK would do to SK in retaliation. No-one wants to trigger a war that could cause so much death and destruction.

Not without some safeguards in place to mitigate the opposition's field capabilities, like a wave of MOAB strikes on NK artillery positions and advancing army groups, or something.

That million man army would be tough to kill off without some serious force multipliers though.

This is the big problem for the US, they can't possibly take out all the NK army and artillery positions straight away. Seoul will be in ruins.

Peter Crisp wrote:The problem is the North has had decades to dig themselves in and shield the artillery from pretty much anything short of direct nuclear strikes.
Most countries wouldn't be able to do that mainly because it would cost so much and because they aren't so paranoid and just plain bonkers.

Alvin Flummux wrote:This is where a network of underground bunkers for civilian use would come in handy. Surely SK hasn't just been sitting on its hands this whole time?

I can see the term "acceptable losses" and "collateral damage" being bandied around the war rooms of the Americans and their allies, even now, especially now, in reference to the possibility of the resumption of the war.

Peter Crisp wrote:

Alvin Flummux wrote:This is where a network of underground bunkers for civilian use would come in handy. Surely SK hasn't just been sitting on its hands this whole time?

I can see the term "acceptable losses" and "collateral damage" being bandied around the war rooms of the Americans and their allies, even now, especially now, in reference to the possibility of the resumption of the war.

I have a feeling the South Koreans themselves have a rather different idea about what they see as acceptable and the capital being flattened in the first day of any war would be seen as rather less than ideal.

Alvin Flummux wrote:

Peter Crisp wrote:The problem is the North has had decades to dig themselves in and shield the artillery from pretty much anything short of direct nuclear strikes.
Most countries wouldn't be able to do that mainly because it would cost so much and because they aren't so paranoid and just plain bonkers.

The US has a wide array of bunker-busting missiles, I'm sure the NK artillery isn't that invulnerable.

Alvin Flummux wrote:

Peter Crisp wrote:

Alvin Flummux wrote:This is where a network of underground bunkers for civilian use would come in handy. Surely SK hasn't just been sitting on its hands this whole time?

I can see the term "acceptable losses" and "collateral damage" being bandied around the war rooms of the Americans and their allies, even now, especially now, in reference to the possibility of the resumption of the war.

I have a feeling the South Koreans themselves have a rather different idea about what they see as acceptable and the capital being flattened in the first day of any war would be seen as rather less than ideal.

Maybe they should've moved their political center to a less vulnerable city, then?

Peter Crisp wrote:After Brexit we may need a few extra people.

Alvin Flummux wrote:

Peter Crisp wrote:After Brexit we may need a few extra people.

Have you tried... opening the borders to the EU?

Trump: Clinton, Obama Outplayed By ‘This Gentleman’ In North Korea

President Donald Trump wouldn’t say whether he had ruled out a military strike against North Korea on Monday, saying only “we’ll see what happens.”

“I don’t want to telegraph what I’m doing or what I’m thinking,” Trump told Fox News’ Ainsley Earhardt. “I’m not like other administrations where they say, ‘We’re going to do this in four weeks.’ It doesn’t work that way. We’ll see what happens. I hope things work out well. I hope there’s going to be peace.”

Vice President Mike Pence, visiting South Korea on Sunday, called North Korea’s failed missile test earlier the same day a “provocation.” On Friday, the Trump administration characterized its strategy toward the country as “maximum pressure and engagement.” A strike group led by the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier made its way last week toward the Korean Peninsula.

Trump also made two references in the interview to “this gentleman” in North Korea, who he said had “outplayed” both Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. The late North Korean ruler Kim Jong Il died in 2011. His son, Kim Jong Un, is the country’s current ruler.

“But, you know, they’ve been talking with this gentleman for a long time,” Trump said. “You read Clinton’s book, he said, ‘Oh, we made such a great peace deal,’ and it was a joke. You look at different things over the years with President Obama. Everybody has been outplayed, they’ve all been outplayed by this gentleman. And we’ll see what happens. But I just don’t telegraph my moves.”