Why the US Cannot Start a War with North Korea

When Congressman Tim Ryan asked him to explain why Washington would not go to war to stop North Korea from gaining the ability to attack the United States, Defense Secretary James Mattis painted a terrifying picture.

"I think we will win. It will be a war more serious in terms of human suffering than anything we have seen since 1953."

“It would be raining shells all over the capital of an ally — one of the most densely populated cities on earth,” Mattis said of Seoul, South Korea, a metropolis of 25 million people.

Secretary of Defense James Mattis. Photo: US Department of Defense

“It will be a war that we fundamentally do not want but we will win at great cost,” he added.

Mattis explained that because the threat from North Korea is so great, and a military confrontation would be so devastating, he, President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson all consider a peaceful solution a top priority.

The US Defense Secretary stressed that the topic of North Korea dominated Mr. Trump's meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in April, and the US wanted China to understand that "North Korea today is a strategic liability, not a strategic asset."

China, North Korea's neighbor and ally, argues that it has limited influence over Pyongyang. But experts say Beijing could at any time use trade to pressure North Korea into negotiating.

Secretary Mattis made it clear that the US was approaching the end of the rope in dealing with the North Korea issue. "We are nearing the end of every diplomatic effort we can make on this issue," he commented.

Recently, the Kim Jong Un administration challenged President Trump by claiming it could attack New York with a nuclear missile.

However, Secretary Mattis described a war today that could harm America's Asian allies. "It would be a serious, devastating war, especially for innocent people in some of our allied countries, especially Japan," he said.

According to Vietnamnet.vn