Tillerson Says Military Options Against North Korea ‘on the Table.’ What’s That Mean?

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's comments about military action being an option "on the table" over North Korea's weapons program was met with immediate alarm by national security analysts and academics.

U.S Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's

 The possibility of military action raised questions about how far America would want to engage North Korea militarily, and the scope that any action would entail.

While U.S. leaders have given no indication of their next steps, they haven't stopped ratcheting up the rhetoric.

"Let me be very clear: the policy of strategic patience has ended. We are exploring a new range of diplomatic, security, economic measures. All options are on the table," Tillerson told reporters Friday during a stop in Seoul, South Korea, a day after declaring 20 years of North Korean diplomacy has failed.

President Donald Trump later chastised North Korea in a tweet for "behaving very badly. They have been 'playing' the United States for years. China has done little to help!"

"What worries me is that if the North Koreans believe this is empty rhetoric from the Americans, they're going to test it," said Jeremi Suri, a professor at The University of Texas and author of the forthcoming book "The Impossible Presidency." "They've already become very belligerent since Trump took office. Now there's a serious possibility that we can get into an escalation spiral."

The year began on a tense note when North Korean leader Kim Jong Un menaced America by proclaiming the rogue nation is readying a test-launch of a ballistic missile that could reach U.S. shores. It conducted two nuclear tests last year.

So how might America show its force?
One option is targeting North Korea first with airstrikes to take out its missiles, Suri said. The U.S. has the satellite capabilities to locate the missiles, and obliterating one before it's launched could avoid a larger disaster.
 

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