WHILE CNN ISN'T WATCHING – AT 10:35 A.M. ET:   It is clear that a confrontation is building between the United States and North Korea.  Many mainstreamers don't really care, but the American people will care if things get seriously hot.  From NBC News: 

LONDON — After years of North Korea thumbing its nose at the international community, on Friday Defense Secretary James Mattis appeared to signal enough was enough.

"Right now, [North Korea] appears to be going in a very reckless manner … and that has got to be stopped," Mattis said at a press conference in London.

He didn't give any details about how the administration of President Donald Trump plans to deal with the reclusive nation, which, under Kim Jong Un, has drastically increased its missile and nuclear-testing program.

But Mattis's remarks continue a recent trend of Trump officials taking a harder line on North Korea.

Earlier this month, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said that the "diplomatic … efforts of the past 20 years to bring North Korea to a point of de-nuclearization have failed."

He also said that military action was "on the table."

Many experts say that Trump's options are limited, however.

Kim has pledged to develop a weapons capable of striking the U.S. and its allies. Three of the country's nuclear tests were completed under his rule and he conducted more missile tests over the past four years than in the rest of the country's history.

COMMENT:  Hard to see exactly what can be done immediately, especially without strong support from our allies.  But, clearly, some action needs to be taken to curtail North Korea's weapons programs, and, very importantly, its export of technology to countries like Iran.

One step that could be taken, short of military action, is to assist allies in the region, Japan and South Korea, in building their defenses dramatically. 

A military strike against a missile base or nuclear test center will probably be contemplated, and well deserved.  The problem is that North Korea, thanks to feckless Western diplomacy, now has the means to strike back powerfully, even with nuclear weapons.  Thanks, Obama.  Thanks, Bush.  Thanks, Clinton.

North Korea is one of the most difficult challenges we face, and there are no good options.  There are only risks.

March 31, 2017