Former IDF intelligence chief: Trump must preemptively strike North Korea

Former IDF intelligence chief Yadlin has called on Trump to “make a preemptive strike” to inhibit North Korea’s ability to further develop its nuclear weapons capability. 

Former IDF intelligence chief Amos Yadlin said Sunday that the US should launch a preemptive strike on North Korea if capable of doing so.

The intelligence expert’s comments came after North Korea claimed to have conducted its sixth nuclear test Sunday, purportedly detonating a hydrogen bomb and prompting a warning from the US of a “massive military response.”

In an interview with Israel Radio, Yadlin recommended that President Donald Trump “make a preemptive strike” to inhibit North Korea’s ability to further develop its nuclear weapons capability. Yadlin, who now serves as the director of Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), added that such a “complex” strike would depend entirely upon “excellent intelligence.”

“If, after such an attack, a missile is launched against him (Trump), then there is no point in attacking,” he said. “The question is whether the United States has the intelligence to allow it to carry out a preemptive strike that will destroy North Korea’s capabilities.”

Israel Closely Monitoring Crisis

Israel’s Foreign Ministry Monday condemned Pyongyang’s latest nuclear test, saying the move “constitutes yet another example of North Korea’s aggressive pattern of behavior.”

In mid-August, several top Israeli and American experts on nuclear proliferation warned in interviews with JNS.org that the failure to successfully deal with North Korea’s nuclear weapons program sets a precedent for a similar scenario with Iran.

“The aspect of the North Korean case that needs to be taken into account with regard to Iran is the fact that despite all the differences between the two states, they share a determination to acquire nuclear weapons in violation of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) commitment they took upon themselves to remain non-nuclear,” said Emily Landau, director of the Arms Control and Regional Security Program at the INSS.

Israel is closely monitoring the developing crisis between North Korea and the US and its allies, as its outcome can affect Israel’s security challenges.

The failed nuclear deal between the US and North Korea was perceived as a model of successful diplomacy after which the nuclear deal with Iran was modeled.

The international community’s response to Pyongyang’s will significantly affect how Tehran conducts itself in the future, as Israel fears that it is attempting to secretly develop nuclear weapons while outwardly abiding by the terms of the nuclear accord.

Israel also fears that a weak response against North Korea will embolden Iran to pursue its quest for weapons of mass destruction.

By: JNS.org and World Israel News Staff