I just recently watched the film Murder at 1600 on TV. Part of the side-plot involves a USAF E-3 plane being shotdow over North Korea and the airmen being held prisoner. The hawkish U.S. military generals want to wage war with North Korea unless they handover the prisoners peacefully. However, the current U.S. President refuses to wage war, instead choosing to negotiate with DPRK for the handover. Of course, this would set the stage for a silent coup (if you watch the film, you'd know).
Now if this was in real life and this occurred under the Clinton Administration, how would Clinton react to North Korea keeping the airmen as POWs? If Clinton chooses to go to war, how would this Second Korean War playout.
For one, the Clinton White House did plan a unilateral attack on the Yongbyon Nuclear Reactor in 1994 but backed out. Keep in mind this is 1997 wherein the U.S. is currently enjoying sole superpower status after the dissolution of the USSR, China still recovering from the aftermath of the Tiananmen Square protests, recently backed out from the Third Taiwan Strait Crisis , and definitely not in the position to fight for North Korea. More importantly, North Korea still does not have nukes.
Now if this was in real life and this occurred under the Clinton Administration, how would Clinton react to North Korea keeping the airmen as POWs? If Clinton chooses to go to war, how would this Second Korean War playout.
For one, the Clinton White House did plan a unilateral attack on the Yongbyon Nuclear Reactor in 1994 but backed out. Keep in mind this is 1997 wherein the U.S. is currently enjoying sole superpower status after the dissolution of the USSR, China still recovering from the aftermath of the Tiananmen Square protests, recently backed out from the Third Taiwan Strait Crisis , and definitely not in the position to fight for North Korea. More importantly, North Korea still does not have nukes.