Two US congressmen have made public a letter from the US Joint Chiefs of Staff which says that an American ground invasion of North Korea is the only way to completely eliminate its nuclear arsenal. The assessment undercuts impressions that an attack by US missiles and warplanes alone would be adequate to neutralize such a threat.
A copy of the letter, which was obtained by Newsweek, was sent on October 27 to representatives Ted Lieu and Ruben Gallego of California on behalf of Defense Secretary James Mattis. It was a response to a letter the two Democrats had sent to Mattis in late September expressing their concerns about the possibility of war with North Korea and asking the Pentagon to provide a detailed report on the potential consequences of such a conflict.
Mattis reportedly issued a response via the Office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The relevant paragraph of the letter said, “The only way to ‘locate and destroy — with complete certainty — all components of North Korea’s nuclear weapons programs’ is through a ground invasion.” The response was written by US Navy by Rear Adm. Mike Dumont.
“One of the problems that we have with the North Korea situation is that we have very little intelligence on their regime,” Lieu told Newsweek. This makes it difficult to pinpoint where their nuclear weapons and other military assets are, and why a ground invasion would be needed to destroy them.
Dumont also noted a possibility that the North might unleash biological weapons “as an option” in the event of war.
An article published in early October by 38 North, a respected specialist website on North Korea, estimated that over 2 million lives could be lost should North Korea attack Seoul and Tokyo with its nuclear arsenal.
why use ground troops when you can finish them by using air power..
Please be reasonable and understandable in your comments
Why are they yapping a lot if they think they can fight Korea well. Go and fight coz you think you are so powerful. We shall come to Newyork to collect your smelling flesh
Zwelly Zulu – you’re fake!
from whom I quote — ‘kill the head and you kill the body’ for a peaceful Korean peninsula, a loaded arab shepherd can do the trick.
Is that really, really, your best contribution? Smh… You didn’t have to say just anything!
Kossi Emmanuel Montcho um…yea they said iraq had wmd its fake, now after usa screw middle east they are moving to asia? Lol just leave north korea alone, its clear why north korea want to have nuclear because obviously usa going to attack them anyway like iraq why not actually have it so they can at least defend them self..
Ramon Fernandez Ermita why exclude nuclear bomb since you’ve gone to war-kill and destroy?
Ground invasion so that america can loot everything north korea has????
Hahaha……. U kidding me
Every citizen of North Korea, men and women, from the oldest to the youngest boys and girls who can carry a firearm or a knife will fight these American invaders tooth and nail for every inch of land they step into. The U.S. is there to plunge the region into chaos much like what it did to Syria, Iraq and Libya and milk it for whatever resources they could get.
#BackOffAmerica
#LeaveNorthKoreaAlone
NK was never a serious issue, except to Human Rights organisations, before they started a nuclear weapons programme. It’s only when international objections swayed opinions against them and their retaliation was to threaten their biggest objectors (USA, Japan etc.).
NK has no major assets like Iraq (oil) and there would be no excuses to invade NK other than to pacify the crazy NK administration. Prior to this whole situation (nuks) the NK people were the most badly treated and oppressed population in the regeion but because the NK government needed popular support from its people for its stand against objectors to its nuclear programme it has had to improve the standard of living for the part of the population that the objectors are allowed to see.
But one thing is sure to happen if the war breaks out, there won’t be anymore North Korea on the map of this earth and your beloved dynasty and its regime will be gone for good!
You mean trump or Kim?
Only troops who believe what they are fighting for will be successful in any war. North Korean elite military units will initially fight but not because they beleive in their country but because they are more frightened of Kim than the US. The moment they look like loosing how many will decide they don’t want follow suicidal urgings from Kim safe in his bunker. They will simply swop sides and say they never liked Kim and his regime.
Anthony Gunawan Moslems?
USA they re traubler maker in anycountry
Gus Vongsavath this is North korea , not Iraq, this time , the americans will realise, even vietnam was kids play, North korea has been planning for this invasion for years, the americans are sure to bite off more than they can chue.
the pb of NK should be terminated soon what ever it takes…..
Kairumba Gardens I think you are correct Mr. Gardens. A strike whether by air or on the ground against North Korea will set off a chain of events that American warmongers may not have anticipated. China and Russia will surely join the fray for fear they’ll be the next target of combined U.S. and allies nuclear attacks.
What do they have worth looting? No gas or oil, no minerals of any worth, very little industry or agriculture. Just war machinery and even that is in doubtful condition. As a country it has very little worth bothering with. Certainly not enough to cover costs of a military invasion.It has immense strategic importance bordering on both China and Russia.
It has is a depressed and restricted population that would work hard to improve their life once they free themselves of Kim oppressive rule and msybe open their border with South Korea .I consider this their most valuable resource.
Now reports that their nuclear test area is contaminated make the country less desirable. Report only on a fb posting so may be totally fake news.
Alan Harold Dean do you really believe in those maps showing their nuclear sites contaminated ??? were we not shown fake aerial maps of iraqi mobile launchers moving wmd.in a bid to justify the iraqi war ???