RealClearInvestigations' Picks of the Week
August 20 to August 26
Featured Investigation
North Korea is close to being able to launch a nuclear attack against the United States, the New York Times reports. Although the nation faces several technical challenges, they seem solvable in the near-term. Here's a rundown of the issues the Times explores in some depth: - Problem: A vehicle that can survive re-entry.
Solution Status: A crude version by next year, if not already. - Problem: Make a bomb that can fit in a missile.
Solution Status: Probably already completed. - Problem: Improve accuracy to hit intended target.
Solution Status: Not perfect, but close enough. - Problem: Make a more powerful bomb.
Solution Status: In the works. Arsenal probably includes Hiroshima-strength bombs, not hydrogen bombs which are 1,000 times stronger. - Problem: Get past United States defenses.
Solution Status: Nobody knows for sure as it depends as much on U.S. ingenuity. Here's how the Times reporters - six bylines are included - end their article: How will we know when the North Koreans have truly attained the ability to threaten the United States? A friend recently asked [Ian] Williams[a missile defense expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies]. "I kind of just shrugged my shoulders and said, well, you're going to see a bright light," he said. Many experts say the North Koreans are well on their way, and they expect the first serious deployments next year. Whether the rogue state's possession of the ultimate weapon will change the world remains to be seen. In the best case, it could be justanother in a long series of unthinkable standoffs the world has learned to live with over the course of two atomic centuries. Read Full Article Other Noteworthy Articles and Series Cartels Use Drones to Smuggle Drugs
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