After General McMaster left the room, Mr. Mattis and Mr. Tillerson continued to speak, not realizing that other participants were still on the line. Representatives of Mr. Mattis and General Dunford denied that they have slow-walked options to the White House. While that arsenal is of limited range and could be destroyed in days, North Korea would still have time to cause widespread destruction. It could, for example, push to expel North Korea from the United Nations or interdict ships that it suspects are violating sanctions against the government. That is because for now, they still view it as a useful tool in deterring North Korea, according to people briefed by the administration.

Source: International New York Times February 02, 2018 02:00 UTC