WASHINGTON - About 10,000 US troops will be killed in just the first few days if they engage in war with North Korea. This was revealed by US military planners.
A report released by the New York Times mentions a military exercise that has been done in the last week. The exercise was attended by US Army chief of staff Gen. Mark Milley and Chief of Staff of Special Operations Command Tony Thomas.
The exercise tested a hypothetical scenario of how US troops would mobilize and attack if ordered to carry out a potential war.
"Table top exercise", held several days in Hawaii, was conducted to defeat the biggest challenge that could hamper US attacks on the North's military.
The number of US casualties is also exacerbated by the limited ability of the Pentagon to evacuate wounded troops daily, and possibly Pyongyang retaliate with chemical weapons.
Civilian casualties will be far greater than the initial casualties of US troops, and potentially reach hundreds of thousands, the commander said.
About 28,500 US troops are based in South Korea's military base in the capital Seoul, a city of about 24 million people. Seoul itself is relatively insecure because it is within the reach of heavy arms of North Korean artillery placed along the border.
The potential human loss from war was so high that, at one time in the exercise, General Milley said that "this brutality will be beyond the experience of the surviving soldiers," the New York Times quoted as saying by the Telegraph on Saturday (3/3 / 2018).
The Pentagon chief warned that the planning sessions did not mean that a decision had been made to fight with the aim of limiting Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions.
Behind a thaw of diplomatic ties with South Korea during the Winter Olympics, Pyongyang indicated that they are willing to open dialogue with Washington.
President Trump's response that the US wants to speak as well but only in the right conditions has created a glimmer of hope for a diplomatic solution. But the American insistence that denuclearization should be on the table remains the hardest root point.
The unpredictable situation has sparked concern among US military leaders about "escalation stairs", where even the slightest incident can cause a military crisis to slide out of control.
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said that the war with North Korea would be "catastrophic" but reportedly had ordered high-ranking Pentagon officials to prepare for possible military action.