[Steel Wolf]

"The thing that this situation screams out for is a [surprise] pre-emptive strike. Perhaps we can use the situation in Iraq as a feint (all of our well-publicized preparations are assumed to be related to Iraq)."


A pre-emptive strike against North Korea is a bad idea, for two reasons.

1- We don't know where the actual nuclear weapons are being stored, produced, or developed. Given the fact that the NKs have moved their entire military infrastructure underground, it is unreasonable to assume that they would leave their most critical defense component totally exposed at a site that appears regulary on CNN.

2 - It forces their hand. Kim has two options, certain political collapse, or retaliation.

I'm all for keeping NKs feet a roasting, but we need a better end strategy before we stir up the hornets nest.

[MonroeDNA]

Actually, Kim has two options, but they are the opposite of what you said.

Option 1: attack, and get incinerated in a few days.

Option 2: Try to bluster, and hold on to power as long as you can.

Option 2 let's you live longer.

[MonroeDNA]

Nothing personal, friend. :)

[Scott from the Left Coast]

Things may be as you suggest. But that leaves the only option as giving in to the NK demands, because nothing but satisfying the NK military can possibly prevent them from taking Seoul or Tokyo out. Thus, they have their hostages and they are already as desperate as it is possible to be.

If it is impossible to take away their trump card in a surprise assault, then we are only left with the option of finding some way for them to compromise with us and give up their trump card. After their trump card has been so successful it is not within reason to think that they would surrender it in another agreement (as good as the last one?).

If things are as you opine, then we are essentially out of options other than buying them off (how much in taxes would we like to pay to buy off NK blackmail?)