We Always Have Options - More War Is Our Favorite

The National Security Council has presented President Trump with options to respond to North Korea's nuclear program — including putting American nukes in South Korea or killing dictator Kim Jong-un, multiple top-ranking intelligence and military officials told NBC News.

  NBC

Multiple top-ranking officials.  Two?

The first and most controversial course of action under consideration is placing U.S. nuclear weapons in South Korea.

Assassination is now an option that can be spoken of openly. It's not even at the top of the controversial list.

The U.S. withdrew all nuclear weapons from South Korea 25 years ago. Bringing back bombs — likely to Osan Air Base, less than 50 miles south of the capital of Seoul — would mark the first overseas nuclear deployment since the end of the Cold War, an unquestionably provocative move.

We seem to be on the provocative move path, maybe Trump will choose that one. Jobs! Jobs! Jobs!

"I don't think that [deploying nuclear weapons] is a good idea. I think that it will only inflame the view from Pyongyang," retired Adm. James Stavridis told NBC News. "I don't see any upside to it because the idea that we would use a nuclear weapon even against North Korea is highly unlikely."

Well, it used to be. Besides, even if we don't use it, it fuels the "defense" industry, which is our major economic base. That's an upside.

As an alternative, [the US military has] been practicing long-range strikes with strategic bombers — sending them to the region for exercises and deploying them in Guam and on the peninsula as a show of force.

A show for whom? Americans. The rest of the world is fully aware of our war arsenal. Some of them may be fearful. But I'm betting North Korea isn't one.

Another option is to target and kill North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and other senior leaders.

[...]

[Retired Adm. James] Stavridis, a former NATO commander, said that "decapitation is always a tempting strategy when you're faced with a highly unpredictable and highly dangerous leader."

So how many countries are discussing that option against us?

"The question you have to ask yourself," he said, "is what happens the day after you decapitate? I think that in North Korea, it's an enormous unknown."

Perhaps in any country, but that is not in the Trump Doctrine: Let's Do It and See What Happens, aka "A Dog Returning to Its Own Vomit."

Trump has already indicated he's open to unilateral action if China fails to rein in its ally, telling the Financial Times over the weekend, "If China is not going to solve North Korea, we will."

From the horse's ass.

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.