Secretary Mattis Tells Army Group to Be Ready for 'Military Options' in North Korea

Secretary of Defense James Mattis appeared at the annual conference of the Association of the United States Army, a non-profit dedicated to aiding and promoting Army service members. He was asked what the Army should be doing to prepare for (or prevent) a military crisis in North Korea. Mattis responded that they were attempting to forge a diplomatic solution, but that, “you [the Army] have got to be ready to ensure that we have military options that our president can employ if needed.”

Suggesting that they might decide that a military strategy is the correct course of action at any time, Mattis hammered on this point — “the U.S. Army must stand ready. So if you’re ready, that’s your duty at this point in time.” This may be one of the boldest statements from a cabinet-level person — that we may decide to attack the Kim Jong-un regime.