You're watching...
MIT Security Studies Researcher Dr. Jim Walsh says North Korea’s efforts towards advancing nuclear weapons capabilities would equal military suicide...
Also in this playlist...
Auto-advance: ON
Auto-advance
This transcript is automatically generated
-- this week reporting North Korea's a nuke program to the smell test the rogue nation carried out another nuclear test marking.
All kinds of international outrage and threats of more sanctions.
How advanced is their nuclear program should we be worried joining me now research associated MIT's security studies program doctor.
Jim Walsh and Jim it last we talked usually about Iran -- wanna get to that with you.
The the question is they keep threatening does and they keep testing.
Should we do something -- active or do we sit effective way.
Well you know it it's sort of a stain off right now we're at that the South Korean military has a stronger military the North Korea.
The US has a far stronger military.
The North Korea.
If we jointly attack North Korea North Korea would be destroyed the problem is one of geography.
What little North Korea has in terms of military assets.
Our artillery set up -- along its southern most border within reach of soul.
Which is South Korea's major city so the US would win a ground war.
The South Koreans what a ground war no contest North Korea would be destroyed.
-- -- big part of Seoul would be distort in the process so that deters us from attacking them and they're certainly not gonna attack us because that would be suicide so we're.
We're caught in a position here of a bit of a standoff.
Yep and that's always been -- of the fear is that there -- going to do something.
This week was surprising that the UN emergency meeting the China.
Said stop it and that's all the other concern -- been which didn't want to get into a tiff with China over this.
Yeah well we're never there's new leadership in China there's new leadership and every -- major country in the region which is actually.
A little concerning you don't lots of new people in new jobs at a dangerous time but -- -- -- -- leader in China a new leader in South Korea who takes office this month a new -- North Korea who's only been in the job a year.
And new leadership in Japan so the Chinese said they didn't want the tests they voted for the resolution condemning the missile tests that we have earlier.
This year.
And -- certainly vote for any condemnation right now the question for China those are difficult one.
That got this problem child on -- border delicate try to squeeze this problem child.
But if they squeeze North Korea and it breaks apart -- got a big mess on their border lots of refugees may be conflict so they don't want that but they also don't wanna -- North Korea.
Having test because that freaks out Japan.
Freaks out South Korea and makes them look week.
So they are in the midst of a real policy dilemma and I don't let you know there that they're under new leadership in -- grappling about how to deal with the.
Aren't I talked to not a China -- -- -- earlier this week about.
The fact that they -- trying to improve their missiles they and trying to shrink that are.
Nuclear capability would put a bomb on a missile.
And and he told me.
That within three to five years North Korea will be able to reach the West Coast of the United States with the missile with the nuclear -- And then what do we do do you agree.
Well I think that that's a projection that's been around for a while I think it's quite gonna take them a little longer than that if you look historically how often countries test their missiles and test their weapons but does them a lot more before they actually field one but.
There -- the answer is yes they're moving in that direction whether it's five years or seven years or whatever yes that's you know that's bad news now.
Are they going to attack the United States no they're not because they're very few countries in the international system to commit suicide.
And if they tried to attack the United States -- we would certainly wipe them off the face of the earth.
The other countries in the region though I mean that you know for them it's not five or ten years down the road it's right now so you can imagine the Japan right now is very nervous about this capability because Japan's just you know -- -- -- away from where North Korea so.
-- I'm not trying to minimize it.
But it's certainly more grave where the countries in the region who are their neighbors but they aren't they aren't that's a path they're on they're slowly making progress.
And my concern the gym is again going back to my first question is that years down the road 357.
Years down the road are we going to be doing story -- we say all.
We wish we would have done -- -- even though the would have been ugly consequences but your expertise and I know you've.
You know our immunity and jog you've had lunch or dinner with them or something along those lines -- important will Korea be able to help.
Army and indeed a job in -- -- -- or Oregon furthermore terrorist with their nuke capability.
Yeah good questions two things here first -- on Monday judged on its way else.
He is turned term limited out in June.
And -- in the middle the big brawl with other parts of the government right now he just tries to be destroyed too exposed.
Head of their congress for being involved in -- cheating scandal so.
He's not -- around here much longer but your your core point is is there going to be collaboration between Iran and North Korea there's has been allegations.
-- that there's been missile.
A collaboration between Iran and North Korea I tend to believe that's probably correct.
I'm more skeptical about allegations of -- of cooperation on the nuclear front -- -- the North Korea once I mean I don't think you're wrong wants to be associated with a country like.
North Korea and there and a different situation but in other both sanctions right -- about that are -- so there's an incentive for them to cooperate I think it's mostly on missiles.
-- -- get the terrorists you know the history of the nuclear age is bad countries develop nuclear weapons but they don't give them away.
They tend to hold on to under the crown jewels they don't wanna get into some crazy non state actor who -- and turn around and use them against them so.
-- I think it's unlikely but then you know there's no country in the world -- North Korea it is the out liar about liars.
So there's nothing -- a 100% bet with them responsible I don't think it's likely.
But it's -- you know anything's possible --
