US-North Korea conflict 'ignited' by a birch tree

US President Donald Trump. Photo: AFP.

On the morning of September 15, North Korea launched a ballistic missile towards the Sea of ​​Japan. Tokyo said the North Korean missile flew over Hokkaido and landed 2,000 km east. This is the second time North Korea has launched a missile over Japanese territory.

Earlier this month, North Korea conducted its sixth nuclear test, the most powerful ever, and was unanimously condemned by the international community.

The United Nations Security Council on September 11 adopted a US-drafted resolution on sanctions against North Korea. The new sanctions ban North Korea's textile exports, limit imports of petroleum products, liquefied natural gas and condensate, limit the hiring of North Korean laborers abroad, and require countries hiring North Korean laborers to notify them of the expiration date of their existing contracts. The resolution also allows countries to inspect ships suspected of carrying banned North Korean cargo, but must first obtain the consent of the country that owns the ship.

But sanctions appear to have failed to curb North Korea's nuclear and missile programs.

Faced with Pyongyang’s provocative actions, observers even thought of the prospect of war breaking out on the Korean Peninsula. US President Donald Trump and his top security advisers affirmed that Washington has military measures ready to deal with North Korea, and if they really have to be used, their scale will be very large.

However, before President Trump makes any decisions, he should probably look to an event from the Cold War era for a hint on how to handle the North Korea crisis, according to First Post.

The birch tree ignites conflict

At the height of the Cold War, the United States and North Korea were embroiled in a conflict so tense that it nearly led to all-out war.

On August 18, 1976, two US soldiers were killed by two North Korean soldiers in the demilitarized zone (DMZ) for trying to cut down a poplar tree that was blocking the view of UN observers. North Korea condemned the US for "aggression" and demanded the immediate dissolution of the UN-led military command.

At that time, the US chose to demonstrate its power instead of directly confronting North Korea militarily, because if there was a military confrontation, the Soviet Union might intervene and turn the conflict into a nuclear war.

Three days after the incident, the US and its ally South Korea launched Operation Paul Bunyan, cutting down the poplar tree at the center of the tension in a show of force. At least 30 soldiers, armed with handguns and carrying hand axes, felled the tree in less than 45 minutes. US forces raised the security alert to DEFCON 3, the highest level. North Korea then mobilized 150 to 200 soldiers to stand guard.

But the North Koreans seemed stunned by the AH-1 Cobra helicopters, escorted by US B-52 bombers and South Korean F-4 and F-5 fighters, that the US had dispatched to hover over the South Korean border. F-111s and other fighters were also on the runways in South Korea, ready to take off, while a US aircraft carrier had moved into the area. In addition, US infantry, armor and artillery were ready to support.

North Korea later expressed regret over the killing of the American soldiers. The two sides ultimately avoided a full-scale military confrontation.

North Korean soldiers jumped out of a truck and attacked a group of workers and South Korean and American soldiers. Photo: History

According to Politico, in 1976, US President Gerald Ford successfully "threatened" North Korea so that the conflict over birch trees did not turn into a bloody war. Pyongyang's hostile attitude and provocative actions are not new. Therefore, the lesson from more than 4 decades ago is probably still valid, analysts say.

However, some experts believe that in the current context, the above lesson is only valuable for reference because a show of force alone cannot make Pyongyang change because North Korea has now become a nuclear-armed state, holding a powerful bargaining chip. The evidence is that despite being continuously condemned by the international community and facing warnings of severe sanctions from the US, Japan, and South Korea, North Korea still does not hesitate to conduct provocative missile launches or nuclear tests.

According to VNE