Gen. Casey: US Ready to Fight War Against North Korea

Troops on High Alert as North Korea Moves Artillery to Western Coast

US Army Chief of Staff General George Casey today insisted that the army was “prepared” to fight a war against North Korea, in the event one broke out. Given the ongoing wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, Gen. Casey conceded that “it would probably take us a little bit longer to shift gears” into fighting a more conventional conflict with the massive North Korean army.

The South Korean and US soldiers on the peninsula have been put on high alert, fearing potential strikes from the north. North Korea has also moved artillery along its west coast and accused the US of preparing to invade the nation.

Concern over a potential war has risen in recent days, with North Korea declaring that it would no longer honor the 56 year old armistice with the south, citing what it called “violations” by the South Korean government. The Russian government is also taking precautionary measures, fearing a potential nuclear war along its border.

North Korea conducted an atomic weapons test on Monday, sparking international outcry and threats of unspecified consequences against the nation. More sanctions are reportedly being mulled by the UN Security Council, though it is unclear how much effect such measures would have against the isolated nation.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.