North Korea’s Sixth Missile Test: An Update from the Weekend

Early this morning, a North Korean diplomat described his country’s missile tests as “gift package[s],” warning the U.S. to expect more if the Trump administration continues with its “reckless provocations.”

“The recent self-defense measures by my country DPRK are gift package addressed to none other than the U.S.,” said North Korea’s ambassador to Switzerland, Han Tae Song.

Han is referring to North Korea’s hydrogen-bomb test, conducted on Sunday. Early this morning, a report published by Asia Business Daily claimed North Korea was spotted moving an ICBM, supposedly in preparation for another missile test.

After leaving church in Washington, D.C., Sunday morning, President Trump told reporters that the White House has not ruled out a military response. Defense Secretary James Mattis said the same, warning of “a massive military response” to a threat against the U.S. or its allies.

Yesterday, the U.S. began pressuring the U.N. to levy sanctions against the Kim regime. Senior Trump officials have said that cutting off oil and other fuels to North Korea is the “last best chance” to end North Korean aggression diplomatically. Russian president Vladimir Putin, however, called sanctions “useless,” again breaking with the Trump administration. Putin claimed North Korea believes Western aggression is threatening its existence, resulting in nuclear stockpiles to prevent a Saddam Hussein-style overthrow.

In a tweet, Trump suggested the U.S. has been exploring implementing sanctions against any country engaging in trade with or exporting to North Korea:

The United States is considering, in addition to other options, stopping all trade with any country doing business with North Korea.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 3, 2017

Experts, however, have questioned whether the U.S. economy can survive such a decision: Trade with China, North Korea’s most important ally and trading partner, accounts for $650 billion of the U.S. economy. Last year, North Korean trade with China totaled $3 billion. As a comparison, the U.S. exported $11 billion in corn alone in 2016.

The U.S. could apply economic pressure to China short of suspending all trade, as the New York Times reports:

[The U.S.] could more broadly target Chinese companies that do business in North Korea. But that could prove ineffective against a Chinese government that worries that trade limits could worsen conditions in the North, making the situation there even more unpredictable.

“If it really started to send their economy into a tailspin, they could lash out in a more extreme way,” said John Delury, a professor at Yonsei University in Seoul.

North Korea’s test of a nuclear weapon on Sunday prompted White House officials to threaten new sanctions targeting businesses and countries that have continued to do business with Pyongyang. That prompted criticism from China on Monday, which called the idea of trade measures against it “unacceptable.”

Some have speculated that this weekend’s missile test may escalate tensions with China. Chinese president Xi Jinping left North Korean aggression out of his speech at the BRICS — a group of five emerging national economies (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) — summit yesterday, but the group did issue a statement expressing concern and imploring the situation’s peaceful resolve.

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Dolphins face no-win with season opener being moved or rescheduled

The NFL is moving or rescheduling the Bucs-Dolphins game. That much we know. Neither option is good for the Dolphins.

ESPN reports the NFL likely will reschedule the game for Week 11 when both teams have byes. That means both team teams would play 16 consecutive weeks.

Dolphins players don’t like that option.

“It would be tough,” quarterback Jay Cutler said earlier this week, via the Miami Herald. “It would be tough. Guys kind of need that bye week to get healthy and push through the second half of the season. This is latest bye week I ever had. It’s not an ideal situation not to have a bye for us.”

Cornerback Byron Maxwell said he prefers to play at a neutral site this weekend rather than move the game to Nov. 19. That’s the other option the NFL is considering, with New Orleans among the possibilities, according to Jeff Duncan of the New Orleans Times-Picayune.

“I like my bye week,” Maxwell said. “For the most part, your body needs it, especially with the brutal NFL season. It’s a marathon. It’s not a sprint. If any way they can get the game this week, I would like that.”

But if the NFL moves the game, the Dolphins will have only six home games. They already gave up a home game to play in London. Moving the Bucs game also would give the Dolphins four consecutive games away from Hard Rock Stadium to start the season.

Miami’s next three games after the season opener are in Los Angeles, New York and London. They will not play at Hard Rock until Oct. 8.

“[We’re] going to keep preparing as if we’re playing Sunday. When and where we really don’t care,” Dolphins coach Adam Gase said earlier Tuesday.

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