Do you think we will engage in war with Iran and N. Korea in the near future?

Question

N. Korea nad Iran have been pushing our buttons for the past few years. Given the current situation in Iraq and a lack of support from our allies, do you think the US can and will use force to deal with Iran or N. Korea if they push us to the limit?

Answer 1

Your question is misleading.

(1) Allies of the United States have never favored the use of unilateral force by the American military. Consensus and a sanctions-based approach with emphasis on negotiation (i.e. Syria) have alway been favored over all else. In the event force has been required, allies have also been loath to encourage the committment of ground forces, preferring airpower whenever possible (i.e. Bosnia) and only in dire emergency or legitimate need pushing for a comprehensive military solution (i.e. Iraq, First Gulf War).

(2) Regardless of how much the US is "pushed to the limit", its pain threshold is nowhere near that of the allies who have most to suffer from North Korea and Iran - with North Korea, it is South Korea and Japan; in Iran's case, it is Lebanon, Jordan, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia. Any of those nations has far more reason to lash out militarily than the Americans will ever have.

(3) The United States no longer has the capability to wage a two-front war thanks to the Clinton defense cuts and the Bush doctrine (coupled with the refusal by Rumsfeld to increase the size of the military to required levels over the last 6 years, time lost badly) so the entire question of being able to strike Iran and North Korea and come out on top is moot.

Besides, if any nation has learned anything over the last few decades, it is that having nuclear weapons keeps the Americans at bay.

Answer 2

First off... the US doesn't make war on countries it knows has weapons of mass destruction. As North Korea has nuclear weapons, combined with a 2 million man army, it is very unlikely they will confront them in a military fashion within your lifetime. Likewise President Bush, whilst labelling them time and again as part of the "Axis of Evil"... seems quite happy to deal with them solely by diplomatic means. As for Iran, it's hard to say. They don't have nuclear weapons yet, assuming they do indeed intend to produce them at all. Assuming they do of course, then it would preclude they wish to do so to likewise have the same level of safety from a US invasion that North Korea currently affords. Taking into account what happened in Iraq, which didn't have WMD, and hadn't since the first Gulf War. It's no wonder that any nation wouldn't want a level of protection free from the threat of invasion based on trumped up evidence, preconceived notions, or blatant lies, any of which describes pretty easily the lead up to the Iraq war.

Answer 3

The war with Iraq has discouraged people so much that the country will have to wait for another offensive attack on the US soil to trigger another war.

Now no matter actively Iran and N.Korea are engaged in nuke research, US has no way to use any execuse to do things proactively. They will rely more on the countries in the region and other economic, political and other means to give pressure.

The bottom line is, US has no right to ask any country not to develop nuke while it is the only country so far that actually has exercised the weapon and has the most nuke heads in the world.

Answer 4

No! Let the U.N. deal with North Korea & Iran. Both of those country's they did not do anything or touch to the U.S.. And both of the country's they did not do first blood.

Answer 5

Us Canadians and British can fight insurgents much better than you guys.

Seriously, we beat Boer insurgents in South Africa - even when wearing scarlet uniforms and marching in straight lines. Go home, yankees!

Anyways... No, you won't. The United States will give in, because N. Korea has confirmed weapons of MD.

Go to war with them, and washington goes bye-bye.

Answer 6

i might want to imagine he is going to puff his chest and attempt to scare them with words{to no avail} N Korea will bypass ahaed with it truly is nuclear sorting out in spite of the actual undeniable truth that a missle that would want to attain the states and Canada? Darn that won't be able to be solid.. i might want to desire he has the classic experience to preserve the crap contained in the middle east formerly tangling with an impression like N Korea.

Answer 7

Lets put it this way, The U.S. now holds a very strong foot hold in the middle east, a BIG FOOT PRINT ! Rapid deployment will be easier on Iran, and N.Korea, I would'nt want to live in either place right about now, they sleep with one eye open.

Answer 8

That will only be determined by those two countries. But engagement will only happen if the entire world turns again est these two countries. We will not go alone on this.
If either one of these countries attack another country this will bring the rest of the world again est them.

Answer 9

No.. I don't think it will come to that at all. Mainly because the US & UK forces are stretched to the limit. This isn't going to change anytime soon.

The only other option then, is tactical strikes using low yied Nukes, and that just ain't gonna happen is it.

Answer 10

No, the USA is now too weak after failures of credibility in Afghanistan and Iraq