U.S. army chief most concerned about N. Korea`s `miscalculation`

The top commander of the U.S. Army said Thursday a war on the Korean Peninsula would be "incredibly difficult" and "incredibly dangerous."

Asked about what would be the most dangerous to deploy his troops in a future contingency, General Raymond T. Odierno, the U.S. Army chief of staff, said, "For me, it’s about stability on the Korean Peninsula" at a forum hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

Regarding North Korea`s military might, the general said that the communist country has advanced capabilities for war and complex weapons systems. "The concerns we have now is miscalculation...We don’t want miscalculation, so it’s important for us to provide the support necessary so we don’t have miscalculation, which could lead to unwanted provocations on the peninsula," he said.

General Charles Jacoby, commander of the Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), told a Senate hearing, "Tangible evidence of North Korean and Iranian ambitions reinforces our understanding of how the ballistic missile threat to the homeland has matured from a theoretical to a practical consideration. Moreover, we are concerned about the potential for these lethal technologies to proliferate to other actors," expressing concerns about the possible transfer of North Korea`s lethal technologies to other states.

In a report to the Senate Armed Services Committee, the U.S. general said, "North Korea again showcased its new road-mobile Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) during a military parade this past July." This can be interpreted as Washington`s recognition of the North`s possession of ICBMs.