May 09, 2017
Yes, we do have a way to deal with North Korea
With speculation mounting that North Korea will conduct a sixth nuclear test, the Trump administration has sent blunt signals about possible U.S. military strikes against the rogue nation. In recent interviews, President Donald Trump has spoken of the potential for “a major, major conflict” and said, “We’ll see,” when asked about potential military action. The Pentagon last week dispatched B-1 Stealth bombers to fly near the North Korean border in a clear signal that military options are under development if diplomacy fails.
The conventional wisdom on North Korea — and the reason Trump and his policymakers jump so quickly to saber-rattling — is that the dictatorship is all but immune to normal diplomatic pressures, too isolated and extreme to yield to our usual tools of persuasion. But, in fact, the United States still has plenty of leverage to drive North Korea to the negotiating table through a well-tested tool: sanctions. Despite the common assumption that North Korea is already subject to crippling international sanctions, U.S. and international sanctions actually leave vast parts of the North Korean economy untouched. This isn’t just about China; the United States and Europe can ratchet up the pressure on the North Korean regime with the ultimate goal of reining in one of today’s greatest national security challenges.
Read the full article at Politico.
More from CNAS
-
Indo-Pacific Security / Energy, Economics & Security / Technology & National Security
Selling AI Chips Won’t Keep China Hooked on U.S. TechnologyU.S. policy should not rest on the illusion that selling chips can trap China inside the American tech ecosystem....
By Janet Egan
-
Indo-Pacific Security / Transatlantic Security
‘Trump Should Be Worried’ as China’s Leader Hosts Russian and North Korean CounterpartsThe gathering of Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un shows a collective appeal to a new world order not dominated by the United States, according to Richard Fontaine, c...
By Richard Fontaine
-
Will New Delhi-Beijing Move Beyond Friction Points? | Ex-White Official On India-China Reset
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that India and China, as two major economies, must work together to bring stability to the global economic order. NDTV's Gaurie Dwi...
By Lisa Curtis
-
SCO Preview: Modi Heads to China Amid U.S. Tariff Shock
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi left Northeast Asia this week, embarking on a two-stop trip that includes Japan and then China, where he will participate in the Shanghai C...
By Derek Grossman