World War III imagined
May 11, 2017
On April 15, the 105th anniversary of the birth of Kim Il-sung, the late founder of North Korea, the nation paraded in the capital Pyongyang. The military parade featured North Korean soldiers, tanks, rockets, and missiles, including several long-range missiles. During the parade, a North Korean official accused the Trump administration of increasing the tensions between the Koreas and said that North Korea would declare war if attacked.
North Korea’s sixth nuclear test was supposed to take place on the same day, but it did not occur.
In recognition of the 85th anniversary of the founding of the nation’s army, on April 25, North Korea conducted their largest live-fire drill in Wonsan, North Korea. A North Korean official informed CNN that the country’s military used 300 artillery guns.
On the same day, the USS Michigan nuclear submarine docked in Busan, South Korea. The U.S. Naval Forces Korea publicly announced that it was “routine” for the sub to visit Busan; however, officials informed CNN that the sub’s arrival was not a coincidence.
On April 6, President Donald Trump authorized a military strike against Syria. U.S. officials announced that 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles were launched at the airbase with the warplanes carrying out the chemical attacks. According to the Syrian’s Armed Forces General Command, the air strike killed six people.
The U.S. has never taken a direct military action against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime. The Syrian government may interpret this action as an act of war.
“I think that our collective security in the United Nations has effectively protected the world from WWIII to this point,” said Mrs. Terrell. “I think it is important for the United States and the global community to take stands against brutal dictators. However, I believe we should be cautious because WWI was started by long standing tensions but was sparked by a single assassination.”
Russian president Vladimir Putin denounced the strike and called it an “act of aggression.” He added onto his statement by claiming that the U.S. violated international law . However, American allies, like the United Kingdom, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia, supported the U.S., insisting that Assad’s gas attacks must meet justice.