Completely my opinion, and at the risk of sounding excessively dramatic in the wake of China’s response to North Korea’s latest nuclear provocation: “China makes diplomatic protest to North Korea after nuke test,” (http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/china-makes-diplomatic-protest-to-n-korea-over-nuke-test/ar-AAreVHg?li=BBmkt5R&ocid=spartanntp), the time is fast approaching for a preemptive American strike against North Korea as General Douglass MacArthur roles over in his grave. 

With yesterday’s nuclear test, estimated to be five times more powerful than any it had triggered before, and shook Chinese cities north of the Korean peninsula, together with North Korea’s recent missile launch over Japan, and continued threats to the United States homeland, the U.S. is being backed into a corner by North Korea and is compelled to act. 

This is how it plays out:  The deafening quiet you now hear is preparation and target acquisition.  The United Sates is done with North Korea.  While PACOM (Pacific Command) prepares targets to as surgically as possible destroy North Korea’s nuclear program, diplomacy is shaping the Chinese and Russian narrative to avert escalation after a U.S. preemptive attack.  After all, the current situation is not just saber rattling, North Korea is telling the United States in no uncertain terms that it in intends to use its nuclear weapons on the United States as it tests its bombs and fires missiles over our allies air space toward the United States.  North Korea is economically on the ropes as it attempts to play its last international extortion card and secure its hoped next tranche of economic ransom.

China and Russia have both already been told that the U.S. cannot tolerate North Korea’s actions any more.  China is not acting decisively to defuse the situation and Russia is on the sidelines watching what both China and the U.S. does next.  The key is containing the operation to North Korea alone.  The U.S. is subtly shaping Chinese and Russian messaging with its limited intentions.  The U.S. will not seek regime change in North Korea or invasion, but needs to take measures to make both North Korea’s nuclear and conventional threat capabilities combat ineffective simultaneously.  Protection of Seoul is key.  Therefore, North Korean batteries that can range in Seoul have to be rendered ineffective at the same time the nuclear capabilities are destroyed.  Simultaneously, North Korean forces will be ordered by the United States to stay in garrison or be destroyed. 

This is what is called a coordinated multi-domain operation that includes land, air, sea, space and cyber capabilities to be employed simultaneously with the diplomatic communications that includes post kinetic operations with second and third order effects planning and contingencies.

As suggested in a previous post, the right and desired solution is entirely diplomatic and a multi-generational win-win solution since no one wants the humanitarian crisis that will ensue.  However, North Korea has a say in the situation and they are choosing to invite a U.S. preemptive strike, while China stands by indecisively.  This is extremely undesirable, but the President’s number one job is to protect the United States and he is running out of options.  He will be forced to take action soon unless North Korea capitulates.

The U.S. and international community will be prepared to contain any resultant regime collapse and contain it to the territory of North Korea as much as possible.  The planning for this eventuality is presumed to be currently underway.   The plan is not to cause regime collapse, but a worst-case scenario regime collapse must be accounted for.

As this drama plays out, the world will see the United States is serious about international rule of law and behavior on the global stage.  This will be a controversial circumstance that will draw abundant criticism against the United States from the international community. But it will also in retrospect be welcome as the U.S. resumes a deliberate leadership role in leading global security that is in the best interests of all nations.

China has the responsibility to take immediate decisive action to defuse the situation.  Again, as mentioned in a previous post, when you see North Korea, overlay the word "China" on top.  China is North Korea's ally and China is responsible for resolving current tensions.  China's failure to act will be the cause behind an American preemptive strike.

This is a defining moment for the United States, one it must not miscalculate or squander