![North Korea's ballistic missile. [Image Credit: Stefan Krasowski/Wikimedia Commons]](https://staticr1.blastingcdn.com/media/photogallery/2017/9/29/660x290/b_502x220x82/north-koreas-ballistic-missile-image-credit-stefan-krasowski-wikimedia-commons_1600909.jpg "North Korea's ballistic missile. [Image Credit: Stefan Krasowski/Wikimedia Commons]")
US President Donald Trump threatened to totally destroy North Korea if it continues to develop nuclear missiles and a section of his advisors also harbor similar feelings. The military setup of Britain thinks that Donald Trump's administration is serious about such an attack and that could have severe repercussions if implemented.
In the opinion of Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), Britain should weigh all the pros and cons before extending any support to the United States if it goes ahead with its plan to attack North Korea.
Probable fallout of a US attack
Sky News reports that according to RUSI, American involvement in a preemptive strike could be in the form of a large-scale, US-led air and cyber offensive. If that happens, North Korea could retaliate by venting its ire on South Korea and the United States bases in the region. This retaliation could mean introduction of chemical and possibly nuclear weapons in the arena. Therefore, Britain must tread cautiously on this issue.
RUSI warned that North Korea has thousands of artillery pieces, apart from innumerable short-range missiles that it could deploy against South Korea if provoked. It also has a huge inventory of chemical and biological weapons that could run into tons of such weapons at its disposal.
In such a scenario, experts believe the initial stages of the war could see high casualties on both sides and would include military and civilians.
China tightens the screw
China is a staunch ally of North Korea and has realized that Kim’s regime could precipitate an unwanted situation by its nuclear programs. China also knows that any conflict between its ally and the United States would have an indirect effect on it.
The ballistic missile that flew over Hokkaido in Japan was an indication of things to come.
Therefore, China wants to implement the latest UN sanctions. Beijing has already instructed its banks to stop transactions with the country and has, now, identified a number of Chinese companies and asked them to sever trade ties to tighten the screw.
Kim’s regime has probably not felt the full impact of the latest round of sanctions. The US must give it time to realize that an aggressive attitude would invite more problems. Simultaneously, there should be peace initiatives to avoid a showdown that could lead to large-scale casualties as indicated by RUSI. A nuclear war is not desirable because, as experts point out, South Korea is within handshake distance of the North and would be the first to face the brunt of retaliation.
