William J. Perry
19th U.S. Secretary of Defense
Ignore Kim Jong Un’s Taunts, William J. Perry Tells President Trump in POLITICO Op-Ed
“No one can out-bluster North Korean leaders,” says William J.
Perry, NTI board member emeritus and former U.S. Secretary of Defense, in a
new
op-ed in POLITICO.
Perry knows firsthand that bombastic name-calling from North
Korea is not unique to the current administration – he was called a “war maniac”
by the regime in Pyongyang after President Bill Clinton said the United States
would use military force if North Korea developed the enriched plutonium needed
to make a nuclear bomb in 1994.
“Perhaps the biggest mistake President Trump is making today,”
Perry says, is engaging in this “war of words” instead of ignoring them.
“The risks of invective and insult is that it could
accidentally provoke war by confusing adversaries about the other side’s
genuine intentions. Over the long term, the risk is that it dilutes the fear
and respect upon which U.S. deterrence power depends,” Perry explains.
Diplomacy is a better method for addressing the North Korea
nuclear threat, Perry argues, “as long it’s coming from a position of strength.”
Read the full
op-ed here.
Read more from NTI on North Korea here.
Stay Informed
Sign up for our newsletter to get the latest on nuclear and biological threats.
More News
85% of Registered Voters Support the United States Working with China to Mitigate AI Risks, according to New Poll
New YouGov polling commissioned by NTI and ReThink Media finds that nearly 80 percent of registered voters, across party lines, say it is in the interest of U.S. national security to work with China to mitigate catastrophic threats associated with nuclear risks, AI development, and bioterrorism.
Russia and United States Retreat from Nuclear Security as 12 Countries Step Up, 2026 NTI Nuclear Security Index Finds
“The data point to a historic lapse in nuclear security leadership in these countries at a moment when nuclear dangers are rising,” NTI President and CEO Christine E. Wormuth said.
NTI, CACDA, and SNSTC Identify Opportunities for China-U.S. Cooperation on Nuclear Security
The dialogue, which has met multiple times since 2018, is a rare opportunity for experts from both countries to share perspectives on emerging nuclear security risks.
