Two U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer bombers assigned to the 37th Expeditionary Bomb Sqaudron, along with Japanese and South Korean fighter jets, “conducted a sequenced bilateral mission in the vicinity of the Korean peninsula, Nov. 2 (Korea Standard Time),” according to a statement by the U.S. Pacific Air Forces. The “vicinity” just happened to be near North Korea.
Naturally, the show of force has aggravated North Korean officials and is being seen as an act of war rather than a routine military exercise. The drills were scheduled for this week, but North Korea had earlier warned that any military exercises conducted near their territory would not be taken lightly.
Tempers are flaring on both sides as Trump threatens to “totally destroy” North Korea, while Pyongyang seethes against the “surprise nuclear strike drill”, accusing “gangster-like U.S. imperialists” of seeking to ignite a nuclear war.
For its part, North Korea has been testing intercontinental ballistic missiles with ranges sufficient to reach the continental United States. Chinese intervention has, so far, been fruitless. Chinese authorities have stated that “You can say we’ve made our greatest effort,” but have little to show for it in terms of an improvement in dialogue or willingness on North Korea’s part to negotiate the matter.
South Korea is caught in the middle of all this, and is seeking to enforce unilateral sanctions against its neighbor ahead of President Trump’s visit to Seoul. On Friday the National Security Council met in the South Korean capital to discuss the matter.
Meanwhile, North Korea hasn’t launched anything since the middle of September, but South Korea’s spy agency told its government Thursday that a flurry of activity has been detected at Pyongyang missile research facilities, which could indicate another possible missile launch.
The U.S. bomber drills are the latest tactic in what could be a prelude to a prolonged stand-off where neither side concedes.
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