"If we enter into bilateral talks with North Korea, as North Korea insists, it takes the pressure off China and deprives the world of its only real leverage against the depraved North Korean regime run by an alcoholic sex maniac."

I didn't know bigjohn was the leader of North Korea!

Seriously though, and please correct me if I'm wrong, nuclear waepons leave a tell tale signature after they have been used - it can be determined who made the bomb, right? I don't think the Koreans would be as willing to risk annhilation as the Iranians would be.

So, even though the Korean leadership is nuts, I get the feeling that their sabre rattling is calculated to produce a specific goal - acceptance. The loss of sanctions and perhaps eventual take over of S Korea. But at least it seems they have a policy goal that is not simply the destruction of the US and the glorification of Islam. Nobody's thrilled about the North Koreans having nukes, but a nuclear armed Iran (and Pakistan's weapons if that gov't should fail) seems far, far, far more threatening to us.