You’ve seen those nature programmes on Silverback Gorilla’s haven’t you? This is what’s going on. Its all about China and US and China expanding power in Asia. The US has lots of interests in Asia, China is building its own empire and threatening US interests and using N.Korea to destabilise the region in order to grab power. But China relies on the US for its economy so all a bit of a game. Its all posturing and chest beating. My worry is Kim Jon Un. He could just go it alone and start throwing some nukes about. But he was brought up and educated outside of N.Korea so i’m hoping he’s actually not as mad as we all think and fear he is and acting up to retain power in N.Korea. He only rules while the military leaders allow him to rule.
A conventional war with N.Korea would be bloody, entrenched, long and horrendous. I’m not sure the US has the stomach for it.
But getting ICMB’s is one thing. Having a viable arsenal is another. We saw not too long ago with the UK Trident failed test that these things are not 100% reliable. That is why we have such a large stockpile of the things – chuck alot of them in the air knowing some will fail to reach their targets to be sure that enough will get though. They’ve only just got their first ICBM so is still decades away from having a viable arsenal….but having said that only one needs to get through.
Oh for the good old days of the Cold War where we knew our enemy, could predict their actions and it was all a propaganda exercise.