But unlike Syria, experts warn that North Korea has a means of striking back if provoked.Along with its rapidly advancing nuclear and long-range missile capabilities, the North has its artillery and short-range missiles trained on Seoul, the capital of U.S. ally South Korea and a city of more than 10 million people. With tensions rising after the North test-fired another ballistic missile last week, the administration over the weekend ordered an aircraft carrier strike group, led by the USS Carl Vinson, to cancel a planned port visit in Australia and instead head to the Korean Peninsula in a show of force.
The United States Pacific Command deploys warships, including the USS Carl Vinson, to move towards the Korean Peninsula following North Korea's recent tests with weapons of mass destruction and opposition to the Sharyat missile strike. North Korea is also reclassified as a state sponsor of terrorism.