The Trump White House’s threats toward North Korea are being backed up by serious study as the administration is researching the consequences of a new land war on the Korean Peninsula.
Laura Rozen tweeted:
A think tank contact working on national security issues tells me: Major DC conservative think tanks that are linked into the Trump team 1/
— Laura Rozen (@lrozen) September 12, 2017
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are quietly preparing studies on the aftermath of war with North Korea…A couple of the shops with big teams of analysts. 2/
— Laura Rozen (@lrozen) September 12, 2017
There's a lot of interest in studies on how to defeat insurgencies led by former regime types armed with chemical and biological agents. 3/
— Laura Rozen (@lrozen) September 12, 2017
Dusting off the books from pre-Iraq War days on how to counter those types of insurgencies. 4/
— Laura Rozen (@lrozen) September 12, 2017
Analysts w/ experience dealing w/counter insurgency in Iraq are being reassigned from GWOT type work to North Korea Contingency Planning 5/5
— Laura Rozen (@lrozen) September 12, 2017
not sure contingency planning signals intent. but contingency thinking.
— Laura Rozen (@lrozen) September 12, 2017
not to be coy, not entirely sure which think tanks, but got impression may be linked up with institute for the study of war and affiliates
— Laura Rozen (@lrozen) September 12, 2017
my contact says his associate comes out of these internal meetings feeling there is significant chance of conflict. he put it at 75%.
— Laura Rozen (@lrozen) September 12, 2017
A 75% chance of a military conflict with North Korea is insane, but it also seems to be an accurate reflection of the path that the crisis is on. So far, the North Koreans have reacted to the Trump administration’s threats and bluster by conducting more nuclear tests. Eventually, something has to give. Either a diplomatic solution is arrived at, or things continue on their current course, and the United States ends up taking military action against North Korea.
The threat of Donald Trump leading the United States into a new war is very real, and no one should be surprised if military action in North Korea becomes a reality.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association