US general says North Korea military engagement would be 'horrific'

Tensions between the U.S. and North Korea continue to escalate, but Gen. Joe Dunford, the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, warns against engaging in a military conflict with the reclusive Asian nation, reports Time.

Dunford, when speaking at the Aspen Security Forum Saturday, noted, "Kim Jong Un's regime is tied to nuclear program, and what I can tell the American people today is North Korea is capable of launching a limited missile attack."

Though the general offered assurances that, "the United States military can defend against a limited North Korea attack on Seoul, Japan, and the United States," he cautioned against acts of aggression.

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Pursuing a military solution rather than one based in diplomacy and economic measures would be, according to Dunford, "horrific."

He further commented, "it would be a loss of life unlike any we have experienced in our lifetimes."

It is unclear which path President Trump is, at this time, most in favor of following, but he has made it clear that he can no longer tolerate North Korea, notes CNN.

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In late June, Trump said, "The era of strategic patience with the North Korean regime has failed. And, frankly, that patience is over."

The New York Times reports that just days later, North Korea tested an intercontinental ballistic missile "that could potentially strike Alaska."