US considers shooting down North Korea missiles that don't pose a direct threat
(CNN)As
tensions continue to ratchet up with North Korea, CNN has learned that
the US is considering shooting down a North Korean ballistic missile
even if it does not directly threaten the US or its allies.
Speaking
to reporters Monday, Defense Secretary James Mattis said North Korea is
"intentionally doing provocations that seem to press against the
envelope for just how far can they push without going over some kind of a
line in their minds that would make them vulnerable."
An
official directly familiar with options planning within the Trump
administration told CNN the question that now needs to be answered is
whether North Korea's missile program has progressed to the level of
being such an inherent threat that the Pentagon would recommend
targeting a missile even if its trajectory did not indicate it would hit
the US or its allies. The official declined to speak on the record
because of the sensitivity of the issue.
The
discussion of whether to shoot down a North Korean missile comes as US
intelligence has assessed that North Korea's KN-17 (Hwasong 12)
intermediate range ballistic missile has proven so successful in recent
flight tests that Pyongyang now counts on it as part of its strategic
deterrence against the US, according to a US official familiar with the
latest intelligence analysis. Because the KN-17 appears to be
successful, the official says the US has assessed that it is likely
North Korea will turn back to additional testing of the KN-20 (aka
Hwasong 14) intercontinental ballistic missile to see if they can
improve its performance.
While US
officials have long said the military maintains a full range of options
for dealing with North Korea, the notion of shooting down a missile has
largely centered on conducting an operation if the missile were to
directly threaten the US or its allies. There has been particular
concern since Kim Jong Un recently threatened the US territory of Guam.
On
July 4, North Korea conducted its first test of an intercontinental
ballistic missile (ICBM), which it claims could reach "anywhere in the
world" and conducted a second test on July 28.
The
idea of shooting down a missile even if it is not a direct threat is
not new. But with two recently launched North Korean missiles flying
over northern Japan, the potential for having to consider a shoot-down
without a direct threat remains very real, according to one senior
defense official.
President Donald
Trump, while addressing the United Nations General Assembly Tuesday,
warned Kim Jong Un that he would not survive an attack by the United
States: "The United States has great strength and patience, but if it is
forced to defend itself or its allies, we will have no choice but to
totally destroy North Korea. Rocket Man is on a suicide mission for
himself and for his regime."
Members
of the administration have repeatedly emphasized that a range of
military options are on the table and Mattis said Monday that the US
possess military options that would not put Seoul at risk of a North
Korean counterattack with the potential to kill tens of thousands of
civilians.
Asked
at an off-camera briefing at the Pentagon if there are military options
that would not put Seoul at "grave risk?" He answered: "Yes there are,
but I will not go into details."
Mattis would not clarify if the options he was referring to are kinetic- meaning strikes using conventional weapons.
The
Pentagon is looking at potential covert cyberattack options. But other
non-kinetic options could include a show of force in the air or on land
in the region or increasing the US military presence in the area by
deploying more ships or troops.
He did confirm that he had discussed the option of putting tactical nuclear weapons in South Korea, an idea rejected
by South Korea's President last week. Several Pentagon officials say
Mattis was not signaling that tactical nuclear weapons are likely to be
placed in South Korea.
And the
situation remains tense with Mattis stating: "I believe that there is
always the potential for miscalculation by the DPRK leader."
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