About retaliating against North Korea

[hedgehog]

[NoNothing]

1. How about a third option:

Let the ROK decide what to do?

[polly7]

2. Seems like a good plan to me. +1000 n/t.

[Lucky 13]

3. I don't know how to answer this question. I think war with them is inevitable.

Kim Jong Il is deliberately ramping up attacks and provoking war. He won't stop until it happens. I think we will wait as long as possible, but in the end, he will launch a major military action against the South. Something that can't be ignored. Something like Pearl Harbor or use of a nuclear bomb/device. And then what choice do we have?

The big question is how will China and Russia react?

[NoNothing]

7. China and Russia

Have nothing to gain be engaging in a shooting war with the U.S., so I think we can expect them to not (at least officially) interfere. On the other hand, they have little to lose by having the U.S. tied up in another conflict, and so I think we can also expect them to do little to prevent it.

[Upton]

4. Another option..

how about we just let them fight among themselves? Maybe the world will get lucky and they'll destroy each other.

[NoNothing]

6. We can't do that, I think

Because we have staked a whole lot of credibility on our commitment to the ROK. My feeling is that the ROK probably doesn't want to do anything unless the attacks become bad, and we should respect that. But if they ask for our help to fight back, we have to give it.

This doesn't necessarily mean a lot of boots on the ground, of course - our air, sea, and especially intel assets are probably much more valuable to them. But they have relied so heavily on our promises that it would be plain dishonorable to leave them twisting in the wind, aside from the immense damage it would do to our diplomatic credibility.

[Nikia]

5. Step up diplomatic efforts

Include China or Russia or whoever North Korea would be willing to work with.