Kerby Anderson

So often when the threat of North Korea is discussed we are presented with a false choice. Either we go to war or we do nothing. The latter option has been the hallmark of American inaction for too long. A military strike should be the last resort, but there are other things we can and should do. An acronym used by the National Strategy for Combating Terrorism is: DIMEFIL. A recent editorial in the Wall Street Journal fleshed out what could be done with North Korea. D stands for “diplomatic.” Much more pressure can be put on countries to restrict their ties with North Korea. I stands for “information.” Defectors are already sending information into North Korea about the outside world. This might encourage some leaders to defect or stage a coup. M stands for “military.” Building up a missile defense might diminish North Korea’s threat of nuclear blackmail. Deploying tactical nuclear weapons to South Korea would make the threat to retaliate against their aggression more credible. E stands for “economic.” President Trump is considering sanctions against anyone who does business with North Korea. Applying sanctions to some of the networks used by North Korea could curtail their trade. F stands for “financial.” The U.S. can cut off North Korea’s access to financial intermediaries that conduct such transactions. Such sanctions were already applied to a Chinese bank. I stands for “intelligence.” Under President Bush, the administration intercepted North Korea’s weapons exports. L stands for “legal.” Human rights abuses are rampant in North Korea. It is time to take the nation to the International Criminal Court. Currently North Korea is vulnerable to pressure because of a severe drought. These and other pressure points can be a way to bring down this evil regime.