A United States military strike on North Korea should be the last option in dealing with the reclusive nation as it seeks to put together a nuclear weapon, Sen. John McCain said Thursday.
The Arizona Republican appeared on "CBS This Morning" and pointed out that complicating matters are the artillery batteries that line North Korea's border with South Korea. A U.S. assault in any form could lead to North Korea launching its own attack against Seoul, a city of 26 million people.
"That complicates things dramatically, and that's why a lot of the emphasis has got to be on the only power that can restrain them, and that's China," McCain said.
"The Chinese have cut back on the coal supply, but I was not encouraged when the Chinese came against our air defense system being in place in South Korea."
The military option has to "absolutely be the last option," McCain added. "When I say last option, that is when we're convinced North Korea has that capability to launch a missile that could strike, with a nuclear weapon, the west coast of the United States. This leader [Kim Jong-un] is not rational. He is not a person that we can depend on to act in a rational fashion."
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