Update: according to the Pentagon, the much anticipated intercept of an intercontinental ballistic missile was a success, and the mock ICBM warhead was shot down over the Pacific "in a success for America's missile defense program." The test was the first of its kind in nearly three years, and was the first test ever targeting an intercontinental-range missile like North Korea is developing.
After a delighted Kim Jong Un supervised the latest successful test of North Korea's latest ballistic missile controlled by a precision guidance system, the leader ordered the development of more powerful strategic weapons, the official KCNA news agency reported on Tuesday.
Authored by Andrei Akulov via The Strategic Culture Foundation,
Putting together the bits of information coming from various sources leads to the conclusion that a US pre-emptive strike against North Korea is a possibility that may turn into reality pretty soon. Everyone knows it’s fraught with implications and nobody wants it but there is a good reason to believe it’s coming closer.
Defense Secretary James Mattis appeared on “Face the Nation” with John Dickerson on Sunday and repeated his warning that an armed conflict with North Korea would be “catastrophic” for US allies in the region, and that it "would be probably the worst kind of fighting" because of the North's proximity to the South Korean capital, Seoul.
While visiting Australia, outspoken warmonger Sen. John McCain told ABC TV that Russia is a bigger security threat than Islamic State, based on its willingness to challenge the democratic foundations of the U.S. by interfering in elections.