What to do about North Korea?

rustybin

There's no chance Trump will use any nuclear option. Even if provoked by a nuclear attack. The US has got enough firepower to destroy NK without using their nuclear arsenal. As said, he'd just flatten their strategic targets from the sea/air.

Sonic67

I was told during the Gulf War that if Saddam did use a chemical weapon the retaliation would be mass conventional bombing.

Giblets

Thinking about it, Trump could actually be onto something here. For years NK worked on the assumption their sabre rattling results in results for them, more aid for the population etc. And it works. Everyone treads on eggs shells around them, The leadership looks like it is strong and gets what it wants.

Now someone has called their bluff.

NK leadership has two options... go for it ( the strong risk they Will lose), or back down and the populace will see they have lost (severely weakening their position,  expect executions of generals to follow) .
They've not really dealt with Trump before and he is.. a bit of a loose cannon, the question for the NK leadership is 'do you feel lucky'!?
Yes Trump has upped the ante, but I am wondering could it actually be a stroke of genius?! Guess we will know in a few weeks!

Fred Quimby

Let mr corbyn sought the problem out he has the answer to everything.

B35

I can hardly wait! :-S

RichR1973

I think the US, China, South Korea, Japan should set some boundary border lines. Any fireworks Kim sends up should not pass NK territorial waters.  Any that stray beyond this should be fair game to be taken out of the sky in the interests of security. Make it clear to Kim.  
Apart from that we should leave him alone and make sure China enforce the sanctions and stop sending him scotch, and god know what else that is helping him proceed with his madness. Apart from food they should be getting nothing else.

tapzilla2k

Well that's thing - Would Trump use America's conventional weapons to pulverise North Korea into submission showing that America doesn't need to use nuclear weapons to impose itself on a nation or will Trump decide he has no choice but to use a nuclear weapon as he might feel he'll look weak if he doesn't. Of course it all depends on what the US public's reaction would be to a nuclear attack. If one happens on Guam then there will be anger, but not as much as there would be if North Korea managed to hit the US mainland.

That's the kind of response I'd expect to chemical and biological attacks. Bombing campaign to eliminate the means of production and delivery systems.

Looks like China is going to ban imports from North Korea to get in line with the latest UN Sanctions, but I'm guessing various items will be smuggled across the border.

B35

Trump looks like he's itching to use Nukes.

rustybin

America's nukes are there for Russia and China, or as last resort in the event of a ground war going disastrously wrong.

There's no way they'd be used against N Korea unless the potential loss to American lives was too great by not using them. Can't see that situation arising.

Marv

Naah its just banter. He wont in his first term as President.