Well, sanity is a relative term, and there's not that much of it around at higher levels of government. But most times there's a streak of rationality in even the strangest politico.

Off hand, I can't think of any occasion when a head of state has done anything quite as daft as an attack on South Korea at this time. There's no reason whatsoever to think that Kim Chong-il is into the terrorist-suicide mentality.

If there's going to be a new Korean War, I'd look to America to start it. And I don't actually expect that to happen.