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The DPRK did not voluntarily confess that it has a nuclear weapons program. The US confronted them with the hard evidence and they admitted to it. I am pretty sure the purpose of our visit there was to lay down a marker concerning any notion on the part of the DPRK to provide these weapons to Saddam or AQ. We probably gave them an ultimatum that if these weapons were to be used by surrogates, we would respond against the DPRK even if the weapons could not be connected conclusively to them.

When confronting the "Axis of Evil," we have to take into account what each country poses as a threat and what options we have available to counteract it, i.e., a policy of differentiation. We can act militarily against Saddam because we have the power to do so. The DPRK poses a much different kind of threat. In fact, presuming they have a nuclear capability, the DPRK can threaten and blackmail its neighbors, e.g., Japan and South Korea (where we also have 37,000 troops). Containment and diplomacy may be the only way we can deal with the current situation--at least for now.

With the Middle East holding 67 percent of the world's oil reserves and an even higher percentage of exportable oil, the world's --not just the US's--economy depends on keeping the oil flowing. There is no doubt that stratigic national interests are involved and we must defend them.

Bush has revealed the sham agreement we have with the DPRK and the failed Clinton approach that has allowed this festering sore to get worse. We have to deal with reality and recognize that the word of tyrants is not worth the paper it is printed on.