The Financial Times quotes four retired American military officials cautioning President Donald Trump against attacking North Korea.
- William Fallon, former commander of Pacific Command: “If we’re serious that we will not allow North Korea to have a nuclear capability, then you better be prepared to go all the way and I don’t know how you can do that without sending ground troops.”
- Timothy Keating, another former head of Pacific Command: “I hope that calm heads would prevail and explore any and every diplomatic option short of military activity.”
- Michael Mullen, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff: “If I was Japan or South Korea, I would be asking ‘What are we, chopped liver?’ The US is supposed to be protecting them.”
- James Stavridis, former NATO supreme allied commander, sees “no military options which would result in fewer than several hundred thousand casualties and perhaps as many as two to three million.”