Just when you thought it might be safe again to not worry about North Korea, the rogue republic fired another missile over the main island of Japan and has issued statements that it intends to keep testing missiles on a rapid schedule. It also signaled an intention to “contain” the U.S. presence in Guam.
On August 29, the U.S. flew a joint mission with South Korea’s air force over Eastern South Korea and tested multiple MK-84 heavy-duty bombs in a maneuver that’s likely to garner a response from North Korea, according to multiple military analysts. Whether this response will take the form of a further missile test, a nuclear test (which intelligence analysts say the country may be gearing up for) or something even more provocative is unknown.
What is known, however, is that this “tit-for-tat” game of provocations does not bode well for relations between the two countries. Many Korea watchers say that the risks of an accidental escalation of actions is growing by the day as both Kim Jong Un (who was seen laughing as he watched one of his missiles in action) and President Trump each issue belligerent statements and insist that they won’t back down from their positions.
In this clip, Republican ex-Congressman Jason Chaffetz weighs in on what the United States has been doing to protect itself and its allies in terms of equipment positioning and diplomacy, both at the UN and elsewhere. But the cycle of intimidation that’s currently ongoing between North Korea and the U.S. needs to either be broken, halted or ratcheted down, because if it isn’t, this match of the two countries “throwing stones” at each other has the capacity to transform into a shooting war, with devastating consequences for both sides (and potentially for other states currently not involved).
Watch as Chaffetz gives Fox’s Deirdre Bolton an update on the situation.
