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Article snippet: A ground invasion of North Korea is the only way to "'locate and destroy'" the reclusive country's nuclear weapons sites "with complete certainty," the Pentagon wrote in a letter to lawmakers. The letter, outlining what a potential conflict with North Korea would look like, said that it is difficult to assess the "'best- or worst-case casualty scenarios'" from an attack from the North, noting the proximity of Seoul, South Korea's capital and largest city, to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). Also obscuring casualty estimates is uncertainty about how much advanced warning the U.S. would have before a potential attack by Pyongyang, Rear Adm. Michael Dumont, the vice director of the Pentagon’s Joint Staff, wrote. The assessment put forth in the letter to Reps. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) and MORE (D-Ariz.) puts in stark terms what a conflict with North Korea could entail, warning that the country could turn to its stockpile of biological and chemical weapons in the event of war. The Pentagon declined to detail how the U.S. would counter a nuclear strike by North Korea, but offered to give lawmakers a classified briefing on the matter. The letter also reaffirms the Pentagon's support for the current regimen of sanctions and diplomatic pressure against North Korea, noting that there has not been a recent noticeable "change in the offensive posture of North Korea's forces." "We remain postured to respond in the event of a provocation or conflict, and we have taken all appropria... Link to the full article to read more