Analysis: What is the world learning from how U.S. is handling N. Korean nuclear crisis?

“North Korea has positioned two mobile missile launchers on the country’s east coast, [say] senior Pentagon officials — movement that comes as Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel warned North Korea is ‘skating very close to a dangerous line,'” reports Fox News. “The senior Pentagon official told Fox News that a test of the Musudan missiles could occur ‘at any time.'”

In light of this, I was interviewed on the Fox News Channel on the latest developments in the North Korean nuclear crisis and how the crisis is linked to the rising tensions between Israel and Iran. Before the show, I was asked to email the producer a summary of my analysis. Here’s what I sent:

• In 2008, I published a thriller called, Dead Heat. The premise: a lunatic dictator running North Korea launches a preemptive nuclear strike at four American cities (New York, Washington, Los Angeles and Seattle). Now the actual lunatic leader of North Korea really is threatening a preemptive nuclear strike on the U.S. 
• A very dangerous moment — two untested leaders facing off against each other on the Korean Peninsula.
• Kim Jung Un, the dictator in Pyongyang, has only been on the job about 18 months. Is he really in control, or are others making military decisions? Could he/they miscalculate?
• Park Geun-hye is the newly elected President of South Korea. First woman elected in the country’s history. Only been on the job two months. Daughter of the authoritarian leader of South Korea from the 1960s. Campaigned on making peace with the North. Does she know what she’s doing? Does she have what it takes in a crisis like this?
• Then there is President Obama who has not faced a crisis this serious — akin in some ways to the Cuban Missile Crisis.
• The President is right to be sending military assets to the Korean Peninsula, including B-52s, Stealth fighters, warships, missile defense systems, and so forth – presumably sending a message that we are ready for war. But is he?
• The President made a serious mistake to cancel our test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile – we need to pursue a police of peace through strength, yet canceling a test like that is a sign of weakness, not strength.
• The rest of the world is watching — what are they learning about how President Obama handles crises?
• What is Iran learning? — They are working hand-in-glove with North Korea on nuclear warheads and ballistic missiles. They may actually be using Pyongyang as a research & development lab to perfect miniaturized nuclear warheads that Iran could use against Israel.
• What is Israel learning? — That the U.S. isn’t really serious about stopping a rogue power from getting The Bomb.
• The crisis in North Korea makes it more likely Netanyahu will launch a preemptive military strike against Iran, possibly this year.

Previous columns I’ve written on the North Korean threat and linkage with Iran:

• North Korea warns foreign embassies to evacuate by April 10th. War coming, or is it another bluff?
• Threat in Pacific: North Korea approves nuclear strike on U.S. Warns “moment of explosion is approaching fast.”
• Obama sends B-52s, Stealth fighters, warships to send message to North Korea. But what’s the message for Iran?
• North Korean nuclear cooperation with Iran “a match made in Hell”
• Like a scene ripped from “Dead Heat,” North Korea threatens nuclear strike on U.S.

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