North Korea Nuclear Crisis: U.S. Not Making Any Deals with Pyongyang, to Launch THAAD Testing Soon
The U.S. government will not likely forge a diplomatic agreement with North Korea anytime soon.
Analysts from a research firm called Eurasia Group reportedly claims that U.S. President Donald Trump will possibly put more pressure on North Korea's Kim Jong Un to stop its nuclear program after the latter reportedly launched its first intercontinental ballistic missile on Tuesday, July 4.
According to the firm, the White House will not likely offer security assurance and sanctions relief to the Pyongyang government to force them to stop their ongoing nuclear missile tests. This could make it harder and more expensive for North Korea to continue their nuclear missile tests in the future.
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"Over the next 6–12 months, the focus of U.S. policy is going to be pressure, sanctions and isolation via economic, diplomatic and military means. Washington will encourage, coerce and bribe as much cooperation from South Korea, Japan, China, (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and the EU as possible," Eurasia's managing director and practice head for Asia Evan Medeiros stated.
Meanwhile, other reports claim that Trump's administration is planning to conduct a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system. This is reportedly meant to be used as a defense against a simulated ballistic missile attack.
Reports claim that the White House set up the THAAD missiles in Guam as a protection against a possible missile attack from North Korea. It also claims that the US Missile Defense Agency (MDA) will carry out flight tests for the THAAD missiles in early July.
The agency's spokesperson Chris Johnson reportedly confirmed that the testing for the THAAD weapon system will be conducted at the Pacific Spaceport Complex located in Kodiak, Alaska. It could reportedly "detect, track, and engage a target with a THAAD interceptor."
According to other reports, the MDA claims that THAAD has a perfect track record during its past 13 flight tests since 2006. This could be helpful in defending against any incoming missiles from North Korea.
However, the exact schedule of the THAAD testing has yet to be announced.
