Henry A. Kissinger - North Korea's Nuclear Program Cannot Be Stopped by Americ... - The Diigo Meta page

• 09 Jun 09
  

  TransTracker

  WMD nukes proliferation

  • De facto acquiescence in a North Korean nuclear program would require a reconsideration of U.S. strategic planning. More emphasis would need to be given to missile defense. It would be essential to redesign the American deterrent strategy in a world of multiple nuclear powers -- a challenge unprecedented in our experience. The enhanced role of non-state actors with respect to terrorism would have to be addressed. The concepts of deterrence against state actors are familiar, though not in a world of multiple nuclear powers. They have little or no relevance to non-state actors operating by stealth.

    • Unfortunately, it appears that we lack the resolve to do anything other than acquiesce. At the same time, Gates has cancelled missile defense and all major weapon modernization efforts (e.g. FCS, F-22, strategic bomber, etc.) under the assumption that state-level warfare is a thing of the past. The international threat environment and our force planning seem to be diverging rapidly, with threats heading in a direction that would suggest the possibility of state-level conflict while we build forces to optimized to re-fight the Iraqi and Afghan insurgencies.
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  • De facto acquiescence in a North Korean nuclear program would require a reconsideration of U.S. strategic planning. More emphasis would need to be given to missile defense. It would be essential to redesign the American deterrent strategy in a world of multiple nuclear powers -- a challenge unprecedented in our experience. The enhanced role of non-state actors with respect to terrorism would have to be addressed. The concepts of deterrence against state actors are familiar, though not in a world of multiple nuclear powers. They have little or no relevance to non-state actors operating by stealth.

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  TransTracker on 2009-06-09
  Unfortunately, it appears that we lack the resolve to do anything other than acquiesce. At the same time, Gates has cancelled missile defense and all major weapon modernization efforts (e.g. FCS, F-22, strategic bomber, etc.) under the assumption that state-level warfare is a thing of the past. The international threat environment and our force planning seem to be diverging rapidly, with threats heading in a direction that would suggest the possibility of state-level conflict while we build forces to optimized to re-fight the Iraqi and Afghan insurgencies.

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