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I was speaking of conventional retaliation. It is well known that the DPRK has artillery ready to level Seoul proper. I should not have used "vaporize" as it implied Kim might nuke Seoul, when in fact he need do nothing of the nuclear variety to wreak havoc.

Unfortunately North Korea is far closer to a lot of Americans and American interests than you think, Tex--if our bases in Korea don't count to you, or the millions of Koreans and Japanese don't count, Guam is still American territory, with nearly 200,000 American citizens easily within medium range missile distance, or even range of a small boat carrying a nuke.

He can do damage, you bet. That doesn't factor into the equation, however. We should plan our defense not based upon what he could do if he hit us but upon preventing that from ever happening. And if Clinton had a pair, besides Halfbright and Hitlery, he'd have done that a long time ago and we wouldn't be in this mess.

The longest range missile currently deployed by North Korea is the No Dong missile, with an estimated range of 1,300 kilometers for a payload of about 700 kg. Such a range would allow North Korea to target all of Japan. North Korea is believed to have flight tested the No Dong only once-in May 1993. While Pakistan may have provided North Korea with information from the tests of its Ghauri missile, which is believed to consist largely or entirely of North Korean technology, and North Korea is believed to have used a modified No Dong as the first stage of the Taepo Dong 1 (TD-1) launched in 1998, North Korea nonetheless has limited information about the reliability and accuracy of the missile. The No Dong uses a larger, more powerful engine than the Scud missile. This engine, which is believed to have been developed with foreign assistance, is believed to be used in the longer range missiles North Korea is developing.

Ummm, I do know how many Americans are in Seoul, and how important it's interests are, my best friend was stationed there in the AF for a couple years when he was a Captain years ago. And all those people are important but ALL people are important.

Obviously the South Koreans and Japanese count, and if North Korea executed a first strike obviously there would be casualties, that's just how war is. But the outcome is certain, and Kim Jong-Il is like most dictators, most concerned with his continued rule. Executing a first strike against us would guarantee the end of his rule of North Korea, if not the end of his life. And firing on South Korea or Japan would be no different than if he fired on Hawaii or California. It would be the end of him.

I'm quite well aware of the situation in the region, father served there, friends served there, and have studied the region, wrote a hypothetical scenario about war in Korea in the late 20th century years ago and did a lot of research for that. So thanks, but I do know a thing or two about the region, it's people, economic and industrial importance, and the numbers of American military personnel and civilians there, as well as it's proximity to Japan and American territories. But even if he unloaded a heavy conventional first strike, it would not result in tens of thousands of casualties, and most of that artillery would not be around long enough for a second massive wave of attacks.

And unlike the Muslim islamo-fascists, the North Koreans have no such illusions about virgins or some great afterlife like the Muslims do. And on top of that, the South Koreans are mean MFers and would retaliate on their own against the North Koreans with extreme prejudice. The VC and NVA would go miles out of their way to avoid South Korean troops in Vietnam when they were there. After the South Koreans captured some VC and stripped the skin off of them, and tortured them horribly over the course of hours, releasing a couple to tell their friends, the VC and NVA went out of their way to avoid engaging the South Koreans from about '68 on. The ruthlessness of the South Koreans is almost unprecedented. That certainly can't be overlooked. We should hire them as mercs and send them to Iraq. They could end the terrorist presence there much quicker than we can because they don't give a fuzzy rip about the Geneva Convention, which the VC and the islamo fascists don't obey either anyway.

In any case, please try to not talk to me like I'm stupid and ignorant of the Korean Peninsula, okay? It's kinda patronizing. :) Thanks.

Oh, and above, I said that if we hadn't wasted six years with these ridiculous multi-lateral "talks" and negotiations, this wouldn't be happening. This all proves that Bush is right and the only way to stop rogue terrorist nations like this from getting nukes and holding the world hostage with them is to strike first, destroying their nuclear weapons programs before they are producing completed weapons, like in Iraq. I don't care what anyone says. Iraq had chem and bio and nuke weapons programs before we went in in 2003, and it's illogical to suggest otherwise. If we'd of given North Korea an ultimatum about it's nuclear weapons program three years ago, this "test" wouldn't be happening.

You don't negotiate with the neighborhood bully, you knock the snot out of him and make him so scared of you that he NEVER wants to cross you again. That's one of the things that's wrong with America today. Many in America are more interrested in being liked than being feared. I'd rather be feared. To quote one of my heros. "Better to be feared than to be respected".