Rick Moran "North Korea successfully tested a multi-stage ICBM that many experts believe has the range to hit Alaska and perhaps even major population centers on the west coast of the US.
"The missile, Hwasong-14, flew 580 miles reaching an altitude of 1,741 miles in its 39 minutes of flight. The flight profile suggested the missile had a range of about 5,000 miles and perhaps as much as 7,100 miles.
"Alarm bells went off all over the world when the test became public. The planet's most paranoid, unstable regime is now in possession of a weapon that, once the technological hurdles of marrying a nuclear warhead to the missile are overcome, threatens tens of millions of lives." . . .
"Without exaggeration, the test is a game changer.
. . .
"But a cut off of all food aid from the west would certainly put unwanted pressure on Kim to come to the negotiating table. Would that do any good? Before we took military action to take out Kim's nuclear and ICBM program, a last gasp effort to resolve the issues peacefully would engender support for the military option if it came down to it.
"It's a thin hope that talks coupled with the pressure of a loss of food assistance would alter the North's nuclear policies. But right now, it's the least bad of all the options on the table for the president." . . .
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