The North Korea Nightmare Continues

Strategic Culture

Harry J. KAZIANIS

If North Korea truly desires state of the art nuclear weapons and missiles—something that can deliver an atomic payload to say Los Angeles—than we are indeed in for some tense time ahead.

The only way Kim Jong-un—the portly pariah of Pyongyang—can truly develop a medium-range missile that can hit even Hawaii or Alaska is through a rigorous testing program. Even in failure, the Kim regime gains vital technical data that creates pathways to future success. The same goes for making nuclear weapons small enough to place atop such a missile. While Washington, Moscow or Beijing might have mastered the Jedi arts of nuclear weapons decades ago, North Korea is still in padawan mode—but making slow and steady progress.

Cont.....