A Few Minutes with Shaul Horev

HOT BUTTON TOPIC I don’t think the North Koreans are looking to push the nuclear button but they must be viewed as a threat especially considering their totalitarian government which doesn’t have checks and balances or brakes on its actions as compared to other nations (Photo: Flash 90)

N orth Korea has tested 11 intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) this year but its latest test is the most worrisome. The ICBM launched at the end of July flew a distance of 621 miles. Experts fear that if North Korea can change the angle of the trajectory it could potentially travel as far as the East Coast of the United States. Professor Shaul Horev a lecturer in political science at the University of Haifa and the former head of the Israel Atomic Energy Commission says it is difficult to forecast the outcome of this latest development but emphasizes there are many political tools that can be employed against North Korea short of war.

President Trump has been making some threatening noises toward North Korea in retaliation for the ICBM launch. What better options does the US have?

Wielding political might is the domain of politicians and if they apply it correctly war can be prevented. But before asking if there will be a war we must first understand what’s driving North Korea’s quest. They have two goals. First they want to be recognized as a military power with nuclear capabilities. Second they want this to bolster their deterrence versus opponents which include South Korea Japan and the United States. I don’t think the North Koreans are looking to push the nuclear button but they must be viewed as a threat especially considering their totalitarian government which doesn’t have checks and balances or brakes on its actions as compared to other nations.