"...the leaders of Russia and China had some connection with reality, and had seen the devastating effects that war had on their country. The present leadership of North Korea has not."

In the insane context of international politics there is nothing in the least irrational about what North Korea has done in this crisis. (As for "the devastating effects that war had on their country," that just a very strange thing to say in the light of the history of Korea.)

If Saddam Hussein really had nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction at his disposal there is no doubt that he would make sure that everyone knew that, and there would be no question of Iraq being attacked.

The only question now seems to be, what pretext will be used to initiate the war. I'd predict an apparent attack on some American forces or vessel, or possibly an assassination attempt for example on an arms inspector, to be taken as an indication of non-cooperation. But it might merely be a judgement announced in Washington and London that in their view (even in the view of nobody else) the Iraqis have failed to comply with the requirements laid down in the last UN resolution.