The national security strategy of the Trump administration calls for a more aggressive approach to stop a missile attack from North Korea to the United States: shoot down the weapons before launch.
but it is not clear that the United States has the technology or the intelligence on the ground to effectively carry out a preventive attack in this type of crisis situation. And if it fails, the result could be an even bloodier conflict.
US officials, including Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, say there is still time for diplomacy to defuse tensions on the Korean peninsula. Tillerson has led what he calls a "peaceful pressure" campaign based on intensified sanctions while signaling a willingness to resume talks. He is co-hosting a meeting of Foreign Ministers in Vancouver on January 16 to discuss "security and stability on the Korean peninsula."
Source : https:// www.bloomberg. com/news/articles/2018-01-02/trump-s-strategy-to-knock-out-north-korean-missiles-carries-risk