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Gordon Chang on the regime’s latest threats to launch a first-strike nuclear attack against the U.S.
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-- -- what is going on with North Korea we get these threats.
And the threats follow a nuclear test.
Putting a satellite up.
All things -- lead us to believe that they.
Doing that all most I'm moving close.
To putting a nuclear warhead on a long range missile which could hit the United States or even if they put it on a shorter range missile as you've said before it can hit Japan.
In terms of world conflagration that's just -- Just is that what is going on with North Korea why -- -- threats coming from American -- There's so much news coming out of going on right now and that's a real word because that means something's wrong in the regime Kim -- on really.
Kim -- on them the ruler has been on power for about fifteen months he hasn't consolidated his position.
We know that because they're expanding the prison camps in North Korea which means that he is purging the officials of his father which is something that North Korean leaders always do they always get rid of the last set of officials.
So what's going on right now is that the hardest line elements and Pyongyang are setting the tone because the regime is in -- Iraq.
So disarming Kim Jong-un himself who we see -- obviously.
Is not necessarily.
Signing on to this that he's not in control of his own comfort.
Yeah I don't think that he's in control I'm not so sure that that he is completely isolated but on the other hand we also know that there have been some very important purges.
And that means trouble in the regime.
When there's trouble in the regime North Korea acts up.
The other thing that's happening right now is that there's a new South Korean president and North Korea always engages in provocations within months after -- inauguration in -- Park gung hay was inaugurated.
Just last week and that means that the north Koreans may actually carry through on their threats this time.
All right the I think a big question that exercises the minds of a lot of our viewers and a lot of people obviously.
Is can they do what they threaten to do a cutie the -- one above you was here saying North Korea what were excessive for the sake of reaches North Korea China or at a stretch Japan will be fine.
That is true right now is you know it's not they can reach Honolulu they can reach Alaska and you're not with a nuke them.
Yes within which they -- they have no perfect drive technology to put the nuclear -- -- that.
Listen we don't think so -- we don't know.
They their missiles -- can reach that far -- the other thing that they can do is they can smuggle in a crude bomb into the United States put in this city.
And people in Washington are actually afraid of the scenario where the did the North Korean ambassador to the UN calls up the White House and says.
We pre positioned a bomb do you want to talk to me.
While so that we we should not just talk about this in the sense of would they need to put a nuclear warhead on a long range missile and get it to Honolulu we'll get it to Alaska or get it to.
California they can do a heck of a lot of damage and hold us to -- some without affecting that take.
-- with the Toyota pickup truck but in any event within five years they will have perfected all those technologies to put a nuclear warhead.
On a long range ballistic missile hit about any spot on earth we know that because of the progress that they've made recently they had a very successful test of the three stage missile on December.
They've had a very successful test of a -- last month there well on the road to being able to put all these technologies together.
All right Gordon Chang author of nuclear showdown North Korea takes a little thanks so much is always -- thank you look.
