Deterrence and diplomacy

Someone told me today that the kind of threats Kim Jong-un has made in the past few days could justify a preventive strike against the regime in Pyongyang. My response was very clear: I do not think so. It would be indeed a mistake to take any preemptive military action against North Korea at this stage. Active deterrence through a clear joint show of force in the region combined with clear-cut diplomatic initiatives by China and Russia, and the UN Security Council as a whole, should be enough to send an unequivocal message to the young man.