American Commander: We Can Defend Against a North Korean Nuclear Attack

A senior U.S. military commander states that North Korea is now capable of launching a potential nuclear attack against the United States, and that the U.S. is prepared to defend itself. Admiral Bill Gortney, commander of the Northern Command and the U.S. North American Aerospace Defense Command, confirmed the intelligence assessments regarding North Korea's potential nuclear capabilities. On October 7, Gortney stated that Pyongyang is capable of 'miniaturizing' its nuclear weapons and fitting them onto missiles that can reach the United States. He said, 'Our assessment is that they have reached the capability to launch their nuclear bombs at our country using missile technology.' According to Reuters, he made these remarks at a gathering hosted by the Atlantic Council think tank. The senior U.S. commander noted that it is difficult to predict the actions and decisions of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, but the U.S. is ready to respond if he were to launch a nuclear attack. Gortney told attendees, 'We are ready. If he is foolish enough to throw something at us, we are ready twenty-four hours a day.' He confidently stated that the U.S. military can shoot down 'one by one' any missiles that may be launched. Last month, Washington warned Pyongyang against any provocative actions, right after North Korea announced it would resume high-concentration plutonium production at one of its main nuclear facilities. The Korea and U.S. Institute at Johns Hopkins University, a major North Korea monitoring group, recently indicated that there are signs the country is in the process of restarting plutonium production to potentially increase its nuclear arsenal. The South Korean state news agency Yonhap reported on October 7 that according to a new estimate from the Institute for Science and International Security in the U.S., North Korea has enough fissile material to produce up to 22 nuclear bombs. Some experts quoted by Yonhap suggest that Pyongyang could expand its nuclear arsenal to '100 bombs' by 2020. In addition to its potential military nuclear tests, North Korea has conducted long-range missile tests since 1998 and successfully placed a satellite into orbit in 2012. North Korea faces extensive international sanctions and has limited communication with the outside world, with China being its closest regional ally. In this context, artillery exchanges between North Korea and South Korea at the border have increased, with North Korea reactivating its nuclear bomb fuel production facilities. The U.S. has warned North Korea against engaging in 'provocative actions.'