OK DougR, a-waaaay we go. :) / (1) North Korea is a rotten Stalinist warlord state with an economy in ruins, ruled by a paranoid hereditary oligarchy which would rather build nukes than feed its starving people. (2) Their nuclear program is very dangerous, especially coupled with their long-range missile development. The US West Coast may be within their reach. They are probably more of a direct threat to us than Iraq is now.

Now for the parts you won't like so much. (3) Their public inclusion in Bush's Axis *may* have turned them away from, or slowed them down on, the path of negotiation on which they had set out. "Even paranoids have real enemies". (4) In any case, there is this about the current story that is odd: the NKs owned up to their nuke program *after the US envoy handed them his evidence of it*. Now, we are shocked & outraged at their **confirmation that our assessments and accusation were correct**. We are running around like guillotined chickens because they said "Yeah, you're right." Somebody said that owning-up-to-it is so alien to Washington culture that we can't stand it. "You want the *Truth*? You can't **handle** the Truth!"

(5) Nevertheless, despite (or because of?) being so stunned when its WMD claims were confirmed valid (an unnerving reaction, if you think about it in other contexts...), the administration is now emphasizing *peaceful diplomacy* to deal with the situation. Gee! Now why didn't WE think of that?? Yer man Dubya's not so Dum after all! Boy's a genius.

(6) Actually he's so damn smart that he even knows NK has a million soldiers and massive conventional artillery power a short distance north of Seoul and the US military garrison in the ROK. Nukes, pukes: we try to Saddamize Pyongyang -- Disarmament & Regime Change courtesy of Uncle Sam -- we goan' pay a **big** price in lives before we win.

(7) Therefore: Iraq is the Number One Threat. i.e. - easier to whip.

OK, Doug - back over to your side. ;}