USA Vs. North Korea Latest: Could Donald Trump Lose A War Against Kim Jong-un?

President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un have been trading threats and insults for months. President Trump told the United Nations that he would “totally destroy” North Korea. Kim Jong-un responded by threatening to rain nuclear missiles on the U.S. territory of Guam. North Korea also labeled Trump a “barking dog,” a “dotard,” and, most recently, a “lunatic old man.”

Trump and the international community are desperate to stop North Korea from becoming a nuclear power. Conversely, North Korea has stated that their nuclear program will continue until such time as they are capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to major cities on the U.S. mainland. Against this sort of background, it is small wonder that people fear the USA vs. North Korea conflict could escalate into World War 3.

As reported by the Guardian, President Trump is currently on a 12-day tour of Asia. During his visit to South Korea, Trump once again warned North Korea that they are treading “a dangerous path.” In a message aimed directly at Kim Jong-un, Trump warned North Korea that developing nuclear weapons puts them in “grave danger.”

As reported by the Inquisitr yesterday, the tone of President Trump’s speech surprised many. Gone was the bellicose rhetoric of Trump’s Twitter tirades, his approach was much more conciliatory, and he appeared to indicate that a diplomatic solution to the conflict was still possible. However, as reported by CNN, North Korea’s response to Trump’s speech isn’t exactly encouraging. They called Trump a “mad dog” and said that they had already “heard enough” from the U.S. President.

President Trump and, it must be said, most of the population would assume that a USA vs. North Korea war would be something of a formality. After all, the U.S. is the world’s only real “superpower,” and its military has been in almost constant action since World War 2. It should be remembered that the last major U.S. conflict in south-east Asia didn’t exactly end well. After almost 20-years fighting in Vietnam, at the cost of up to four million lives, U.S. troops were forced to withdraw without realizing their objective.

As previously reported by the Inquisitr, North Korea could easily become Donald Trump’s Vietnam. This is a point raised by Lt. General Jan-Marc Jouas, the former deputy commander of U.S. Forces in Korea. As reported by Newsweek, General Jouas warns that if the USA vs. North Korea conflict were to result in war, the U.S. could lose. Jouas points out that U.S. troops would be heavily outnumbered and undersupplied.

Under the leadership of Kim Jong-un, North Korea has a standing army 1.2 million strong. The hermit regime is also reported to have a paramilitary force, trained in guerilla warfare, almost six million strong. The prospect of a ground war in North Korea, against overwhelming odds, is virtually unthinkable. The experience of losing the Vietnam war is writ so large in the American psyche, that no Commander-in-Chief would consider it.

As reported by the Telegraph, a war between the U.S. and North Korea is more likely to be fought from the air. The U.S. already has three aircraft carrier battle groups in the region. The aircraft from the USS Nimitz, USS Ronald Reagan, and USS Theodore Roosevelt carry a considerable strike capability. The flotilla of support ships and submarines are armed with cruise missiles. This amounts to considerable firepower and, if Donald Trump were to order military action against North Korea, it is likely that these ships would be used to prosecute an attack.

The experience of the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan lays out a tried and tested plan of attack. Aircraft and cruise missiles are used to attack strategic target, communication systems, missile sites, and military installations are all primary targets. An effective strike of this nature can cripple an enemy overnight. If such an attack is sufficiently successful the U.S. could win a war with North Korea without committing combat troops to a ground war.

Of course, the world will hope that the USA vs. North Korea conflict can be solved without bloodshed, the prospect of the conflict escalating into World War 3 is simply too horrible to contemplate.

[Featured Image by Eugene Hoshiko/AP Images]