<p align="justify" class="title">The only certain way to locate and secure all North Korea's nuclear weapons sites would be via a US ground invasion, the Washington Post reported Saturday, citing a letter from Pentagon officials sent to US lawmakers.</p>.<p align="justify" class="bodytext">It said the letter, reportedly written by the vice director of the Pentagon's Joint Staff, noted that such a conflict could prompt Pyongyang to deploy biological and chemical weapons.</p>.<p align="justify" class="bodytext">The report detailing the prospect of war on the Korean peninsula comes as President Donald Trump embarks on a nearly two-week Asia tour, with the North's nuclear and missile program expected to top the agenda.</p>.<p align="justify" class="bodytext">The US Defense Department sent the letter in response to a request from two members of Congress for details regarding "expected casualty assessments in a conflict with North Korea" for US and allied forces in Japan, South Korea and Guam as well as civilians, the Post said.</p>.<p align="justify" class="bodytext">Tensions have soared over North Korea's nuclear and missile programs in recent months, goaded by Trump and Pyongyang leader Kim Jong-Un's fiery exchanges of insults and warnings of conflict.</p>.<p align="justify" class="bodytext">On Saturday, North Korea welcomed Trump to the region by threatening to increase its nuclear arsenal and saying the idea of talks was "daydreaming," according to the state-run KCNA news agency.</p>.<p align="justify" class="bodytext">Neither the US president nor his fierce rhetoric were mentioned in the letter, the Post said.</p>.<p align="justify" class="bodytext">It did however say the military backs the current US approach -- led by state department chief Rex Tillerson -- to wield economic sanctions and apply diplomatic pressure on the North as a means of discouraging its nuclear ambitions.</p>.<p align="justify" class="bodytext">The Post reported that a statement from 16 lawmakers -- all but one of them Democrats -- obtained along with the Pentagon letter said the "assessment underscores what we've known all along: There are no good military options for North Korea."</p>
<p align="justify" class="title">The only certain way to locate and secure all North Korea's nuclear weapons sites would be via a US ground invasion, the Washington Post reported Saturday, citing a letter from Pentagon officials sent to US lawmakers.</p>.<p align="justify" class="bodytext">It said the letter, reportedly written by the vice director of the Pentagon's Joint Staff, noted that such a conflict could prompt Pyongyang to deploy biological and chemical weapons.</p>.<p align="justify" class="bodytext">The report detailing the prospect of war on the Korean peninsula comes as President Donald Trump embarks on a nearly two-week Asia tour, with the North's nuclear and missile program expected to top the agenda.</p>.<p align="justify" class="bodytext">The US Defense Department sent the letter in response to a request from two members of Congress for details regarding "expected casualty assessments in a conflict with North Korea" for US and allied forces in Japan, South Korea and Guam as well as civilians, the Post said.</p>.<p align="justify" class="bodytext">Tensions have soared over North Korea's nuclear and missile programs in recent months, goaded by Trump and Pyongyang leader Kim Jong-Un's fiery exchanges of insults and warnings of conflict.</p>.<p align="justify" class="bodytext">On Saturday, North Korea welcomed Trump to the region by threatening to increase its nuclear arsenal and saying the idea of talks was "daydreaming," according to the state-run KCNA news agency.</p>.<p align="justify" class="bodytext">Neither the US president nor his fierce rhetoric were mentioned in the letter, the Post said.</p>.<p align="justify" class="bodytext">It did however say the military backs the current US approach -- led by state department chief Rex Tillerson -- to wield economic sanctions and apply diplomatic pressure on the North as a means of discouraging its nuclear ambitions.</p>.<p align="justify" class="bodytext">The Post reported that a statement from 16 lawmakers -- all but one of them Democrats -- obtained along with the Pentagon letter said the "assessment underscores what we've known all along: There are no good military options for North Korea."</p>