Unsurprisingly, North Korea wants to build a nuclear weapon in order to protect itself. The country has been seeking out success for decades now. A recent missile test by the country resulted in utter failure, though. However, many countries take such tests seriously and consider them a threat to global safety. The United States decided upon a show-of-strength tactic by sending an aircraft carrier to the Korean Peninsula. US officials announced the move soon after the failed rocket launch.
As the USS Carl Vinson sailed toward the Korean Peninsula, US officials and the media touted the decision. Others derided the move as a dangerous escalation against an unpredictable country. It wouldn’t take more than a few days for the Carl Vinson to reach Korean waters. From there, everyone assumed North Korea would back off a little on its nuclear ambitions for fear of agitating an American aircraft carrier. One issue soon arose surrounding the aircraft carrier sent to the Korean Peninsula.
Where in the world is the USS Carl Vinson?
Currently, the USS Carl Vinson travels with four warships, packing enough firepower to cause mayhem. A recent photo shows the group of ships traveling through the Sunda Strait, and it’s an intimidating photo to view. That particular photo was taken quite recently. In fact, photographers captured the ship right around the time it was supposed to be circling waters offshore of the Korean Peninsula. Many viewers became instantly confused upon viewing the photograph. Why was the fleet in the Indian Ocean?
Ships sailing under the Australian Navy were awaiting the arrival of the USS Carl Vinson for joint exercises. Of course, these exercises were scheduled to take place in the Indian Ocean. Such exercises were planned months in advance, and everyone aboard the Carl Vinson knew about their current mission. Perhaps nobody informed the Carl Vinson of the plan to float northeast to the Korean Peninsula. Carl Vinson and its companion ships set sail for Korea as soon as the Sunda Strait photos came to light.
Trump Administration, What’s Going On?
Everyone in the Trump Administration spoke about the power of the Carl Vinson’s presence in the Korean Peninsula. They knew sending the ship there would scare North Korea, and maybe the Executive Branch planned a preemptive strike on the country. Then again, perhaps the Administration was bluffing and knew the ship was nowhere near Korea. China, North Korea, and others didn’t exactly want the ships sitting in the area. Firepower could only make the situation more delicate and serious than ever before after all.
Officials for the Trump Administration blamed the entire situation on miscommunication. Some officials blamed the Department of Defense and the Navy instead. Still, nobody is quite sure what happened here, but many are assuming ignorance and incompetence. There’s also a small chance the Trump Administration tried to bluff North Korea into believing America was headed its way. Nothing about this situation screams competence, though, and it doesn’t shed a positive light on the Trump Administration or America itself.