Admiral Harry Harris, US Pacific commander, said in the senate briefing on Wednesday, that North Korea has no capability of even attacking the Uss Carl Vinson with ballistic missiles. This after a barrage of threats were made by the North Korean dictator regarding his military's capability of attacking the United States and laying waste to the entire continent with a super-mighty pre-emptive strike of nuclear weapons.
Kim Jong-un showed prototype missiles, while some were fake
The military display in Pyongyang that brought concern to the world, were actually displays of prototypes.
Some experts, who meticulously inspected the video have suggested that some of the paraded missiles are outright "fakes" and "props" for this massive propaganda video. This is in line with Admiral Harris' report in the senate briefing that North Korea doesn't posses any ballistic missile that can attack the United States Mainland and even hit the USS Carl Vinson in the peninsula.
Added to this, military soldiers shown in full combat gear, armed with AK-47 rifles and grenade launchers, were also misleading. Experts determined that these rifles are equipped not with grenade launchers, but with helical magazines, a tube-like container that organizes rounds to maximize capacity and is known to be prone to jamming.
Though many of those displayed during the parade were fakes, the threat of North Korea is still real. The capability of shelling Seoul is a stark reality, which is one of the major concerns if the tension in the peninsula escalates. Seoul is precariously close to the North Korean border and can be easily shelled by artillery.
This is the major threat North Korea can actually deliver. A massive bombardment of the city may cause the deaths of thousands of people.
What will Trump's course of action be, knowing the true capability of North Korea?
After the senate briefing, Trump officials are now focused more on the diplomatic end to the crisis. Though the US military doesn't deny the fact that it will react to any hostile attack coming from Pyongyang, they will treat it as a last resort.
Trump is calling out to China to pressure North Korea to sit down at the diplomatic table with the US to end the crisis. While North Korea isn't reined in, Trump is still willing to deploy powerful naval contingents in the area. The THAAD missile system, which was to be installed in South Korea, will now be ready in a few days.
