The U.S. Intelligence Community Is Divided On North Korea

U.S. Intelligence Divide On North Korea Is Exposed -- L.A. Times

The DIA comes under fire for its assessment on the regime's nuclear missile capability, which other agencies see as too strong.

WASHINGTON — An impromptu release of a Pentagon intelligence assessment suggesting North Korea could fit a nuclear warhead atop a ballistic missile — only to see the nation's top intelligence official say other U.S. agencies did not necessarily agree — has exposed a stark divide in America's intelligence apparatus on the threat from Pyongyang.

The Defense Intelligence Agency, the largest of the 16 U.S. intelligence services in terms of personnel, came under fire Friday, a day after Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.) unexpectedly disclosed in a House hearing that the DIA had "moderate confidence" that Pyongyang "currently has nuclear weapons capable of delivery" by missiles.

If true, North Korea would pose a far greater threat than the White House previously has acknowledged because the Northeast Asian nation could, in theory, launch a nuclear weapon at the United States, Japan or South Korea.

Read more ....

More News On The Division Within the U.S. Intelligence Community On North Korea's Nuclear Missile Capability

Contrasting Views on North Korea Underscore Sensitivities and Lack of Evidence -- New York Times
Differing views of NK nuclear threat -- CBS
US Stresses Limits of NKorea's Nuclear Firepower -- ABC News/AP
Why North Korean intelligence is so hard to read -- Mike Chinoy, Special for CNN
North Korea nuclear missiles: How startling is Pentagon assessment? -- Peter Grier, Christian Science Monitor
How seriously should you take that scary intelligence report about North Korean nukes? -- Max Fisher, Washington Post

My Comment: You would think that with a budget that runs into the tens of billions .... the U.S. intelligence community would not be "guessing" on what is North Korea's nuclear missile capability. But while it is very easy to criticize the U.S., the ones who should really be criticized are Japan and South Korea. They are North Korea's neighbors .... and you would think that they would have a very clear understanding on what is happening in North Korea. Unfortunately .... it appears that they are as clueless as we are when it comes to North Korea.