A Path to War

By Col. Steven B. Vitali, USMC (Ret.)

The United States is positioned on a trajectory toward a “hot war” with North Korea to end that country’s nuclear intercontinental threat.

To avoid a conflict, only two options are available:

First, the U.S. must strongly demonstrate to China and North Korea by various military, monetary, and strategic actions that America will end North Korea’s nuclear ambitions, even at the cost of a preemptive strike. The objective is to effectively persuade China to act against North Korea’s nuclear intentions.

The second alternative is to abandon the U.S.’s stated-policy of not allowing North Korea (or Iran) the ability to threaten the U.S. with nuclear weapons. This appeasement strategy is now the platform of Democrat politicians who enabled North Korea to sustain and fund their nuclear ambition over the last two decades.

Discredited former National Security Advisor, Susan Rice stated, “The U.S. can tolerate nuclear weapons in North Korea.” Her shocking appeasement appraisal stands in stark and foreboding recognition of the division that divides Americans today. The inability to acknowledge that evil exists in the world and the resilience to confront it and stop it is a departure from American historical precedence.

Rice advocates tolerance of nuclear blackmail as if a policy of mutual deterrence exists.

Kim Jong-un, the North Korean dictator is the embodiment of evil and he cannot be trusted to act rationally. Kim views the U.S. as his mortal enemy and he is willing to harm the U.S. at every turn. Moreover, North Korea has technologically partnered with Iran, a radical Islamic nation and the largest supporter of terrorism against the U.S. in the world.

Pres. Trump’s statement, “They will be met with fire and fury,” has set Democrat politicians and the liberal media empire on fire. Their unabashed hatred of Trump is so overwhelming that in a period of crisis, our nation’s opposition leaders are unwilling or unable to grasp the failure to act and unify behind him during a national foreign crisis.

What would the world look like today if Adolf Hitler, warlord Hideki Tojo and Iraqi pres. Saddam Hussein had not been appeased? We well-remember British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain and his “peace in our time” appeasement strategy with Germany.

How many thousands of civilians were slaughtered by ISIS as Pres. Obama stood idly, too timid and afraid to act as he watched ISIS move across the desert plains unabated?

Should Pres. Trump be forced into war, the sheer ugliness and potential loss of life would be tremendous. Previous presidents negotiated, bribed, and squander precious time in their effort to curtail North Korea’s nuclear ambition ending in complete failure.

Pres. Clinton provided billions of dollars to North Korea that was used to assemble the very nuclear arsenal that threatens the U.S. today. Pres. Obama ignored the reality in North Korea and negotiated an agreement with Iran that eventually will mirror the same outcome as North Korea.

U.S. intelligence on North Korea and Iran has always lagged behind their current capability and once again came up short on North Korea’s capabilities. At some point, Pres. Trump will be forced to arrive at a pivotal decision, one as great as Pres. Kennedy’s Cuba Missile Crisis with the Soviet Union.

If China does not act, a preemptive massive strike against North Korea is warranted. As horrific the outcome in loss of life, cost, and damage, no sane person can advocate for a preventive strike but then again, no sane person with a patriotic duty to defend America can allow North Korea free-reign to threaten the U.S., nor to distribute its nuclear knowledge and materials to other countries that would carry out a potential dirty bomb terrorist attack on the U.S.

Pres. Obama passed North Korea to Pres. Trump for action. Fortunately for all Americans, he is surrounded with the greatest military generals in decades, Generals Mattis, Kelly, McMaster, etc. These professionals will provide Pres. Trump their best available courses of action, recommendations, and counsel.

I trust in their leadership and courage of Pres. Trump to deliberate and arrive at the best decision for the future security of the U.S.

Our nation is at a crossroads. Inaction is a recipe for disaster. The U.S. Intelligence Community estimates that within a few years, North Korea will possess more than a 100 nuclear weapons positioned on intercontinental ballistic missiles and submarine-launched ballistic missile platforms capable of destroying the U.S. It only takes 12 minutes flight time to reach the U.S. once fired and attempting to hit a bullet with a bullet is much harder than a preemptive strike while on the ground. In the future, the potential strike by a nuclear weapon or dirty bomb on American soil becomes just a matter of time.

Americans should pray for Pres. Trump and unify around him in this crisis as one country. Former Presidents Washington, Lincoln, and FDR stood the challenges against horrific circumstances and achieved victory. What would the world look like also had the U.S. remained firm against the aggressions of Russia and China after WWII?

I believe that America does not currently possess the stomach to endure such great loss, but I am not president of the United States with a sworn oath to defend America as his primary mission. I will follow my president’s decision based on the best available information given by our nation’s best flag and general-officers, and I will place faith and trust that God will provide Pres. Trump the wisdom to make the right call.

– Col. Steven B. Vitali, U.S. Marine Corps (Ret.), is a decorated U.S. Marine officer, a veteran of both the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, a former senior advisor to the 201st Afghan National Army Corps and commanding officer of the 201st Afghan Regional Corps Advisory Group.