September 21, 2020
North Korea’s Next Move Worries White House, U.S. Military, Intel and Allied Officials
A National Interest Korea Watch exclusive: White House, defense and intel officials as well U.S. allies are worried what Pyongyang may have up its sleeve in the coming weeks and months. That could mean a display of new missiles to testing an SLBM or even an ICBM test.
by Harry J. Kazianis
A diverse chorus of voices from inside the White House, U.S. military, diplomatic and intelligence communities are concerned that North Korea could soon raise tensions once again through several potential provocative actions. In multiple interviews conducted over the last several days, intelligence and government sources in South Korea as well as in Japan also expressed similar concerns.
Worse still, many of those same officials expressed alarm that if former-Vice President Joe Biden were to win the Oval Office in November, North Korea could decide to “set the table with a show of military strength,†as described by a senior White House Official. That could mean testing an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) while showcasing new heatshield technology that proves its nuclear warheads can reenter the atmosphere, putting pressure on the incoming administration.
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/korea-watch/north-korea%E2%80%99s-next-move-worries-white-house-us-military-intel-and-allied-officials
