DPRK honing ICBMs capable of reaching US: Ex-intel officer
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The American intelligence officer worked for decades in the Korean Peninsula and was tasked with implementing Washington's policy to subdue the DPRK and ensure a more US-friendly region.
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Citizens of the DPRK protest US policies against their country and confirm their support to their government in repelling Washington's hostility in Pyongyang, DPRK, on August 9, 2017 (AFP)
Arriving at the Korean Peninsula decades ago as a US military intelligence officer, Syd Seiler has had hands-on experience dealing with events that led to the rise of the nuclear conflict between the DPRK and South Korea fueled by the United States and its regional allies, including Japan.
With over 40 years of experience, Seiler has engaged in directing strategic assessments, formulating national policy, and advising military commanders and the political leadership in South Korea, in addition to secretly negotiating with senior officials from the DPRK and surrounding nations such as China.
In his retirement message, Seiler said he believes that the US-led international community must continue to exert pressure and adopt sanctions against Pyongyang and should not accept the fact that the East Asian country has become a nuclear power, the former spy told AP.
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“That’s a failure of deterrence?” he asked, rhetorically. “That’s nonsense. We’re deterring an attack.”
Seiler said DPRK's actions and statements are not random but follow a strategic and rhythmic approach. Pyongyang uses a combination of military exercises, missile tests, and threats of launching a “deluge of fire” on South Korea.
This tactic, according to Seiler, is seen as a means to postulate its position in the region and achieve its objectives, which include asserting its sovereignty, deterring potential adversaries and threats, or enhancing its position in negotiations.
However, Seiler claimed that Pyongyang's fear is only focused on outside threats, rather also from within.
Decades-long sanctions and embargo against the country have left it suffering from a number of humanitarian issues, including a shortage of food and medical supplies.
The former intelligence service member said he believes that this seige would result in what could mount to an "internal uprising" against the DPRK's ruling party, hinting that this is a real objective of the strategy pursued by the US; an artificial and Western orchestrated economic challenge and commodity scarcity, which would portray Pyongyang in front of the country's citizens as responsible for the all domestic problems.
Read more: DPRK warns US of nuclear deterrence if it continues 'hostile policy'
Despite claiming that the DPRK's "main fear" today comes from "internal threats", Seiler warned that the country has bolstered its capabilities to produce missiles capable of reaching the "protector of South Korea"; the United States. In his statement, the ex-spy indicated that the DPRK's power has evolved beyond deterring regional hostile countries and has become capable of reaching the superpower's mainland.
Pyongyang was "clearly developing capabilities that would enhance its position vis-à-vis South Korea. And so going forward, this is where the room for concern is."
The United States recently escalated its military presence in the East Asia region and boosted its security ties with Japan and South Korea, most notably regarding nuclear cooperation. Pyongyang described the emerging bloc as a "NATO-style nuclear alliance." This view was also shared by China, as it is the main target of the US-led hypermilitarized group.
In July, the US deployed its second nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) submarine in South Korea. The move came shortly after the three allies agreed to unite a nuclear response in case of a war with the DPRK.
Several global powers, including China and Russia, have expressed serious concerns about the United States' activities in the region. Both nations have issued warnings, emphasizing that Washington's aggressive militarization strategy in the South China Sea poses a significant threat to regional stability and increases the risk of a potential nuclear conflict.
