Updates | The Week of August 7, 2017
Derek Reinbold // 8/13/17 //
President Trump has escalated his warnings to North Korea, stating that his previous comments were possibly not harsh enough (NYT, WaPo, WSJ).
- Attacking North Korea would be illegal, writes Zachary Price at Take Care.
- Marty Lederman also thinks that President Trump cannot lawfully strike North Korea without congressional approval (Take Care).
- Nevertheless, President Trump might still launch an attack without congressional authorization, writes Ilya Somin (WaPo).
- The United States should not give up on diplomatic solutions to North Korea’s nuclear capabilities, argues Susan E. Rice (NYT).
- If President Trump decides to launch of preemptive strike, his senior military advisers have few other options, notes Dan Lamothe (WaPo).
- President Trump’s threats are clumsy and unlikely to change North Korea’s calculus or behavior, argues Eric Gomez at the Cato Institute.
- The New York Times provides an outline of self-defense and international law with regards to the situation in North Korea here.
The United Nations Security Council imposed punishing new sanctions on North Korea (NYT).
The Trump Administration is apparently considering whether to privatize a large portion of the war in Afghanistan (WaPo, USA Today).
- Such a plan would risk significant problems that could undermine the military’s mission, writes Laura Dickinson (Just Security).