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The case against containment is that we'd better win and redeploy our heavy forces to Korea right away.

Roger that...I met a guy yesterday, First Sargent he said, worked for General Dynamics and NASA, and showed me his WELL-decorated cover. He said we are definitely going to "drop an egg" on NK, and I'm not about to argue with that.

Actually, I don't see the need to deploy the heavy forces...I might leave them in place considering the event sin the Gulf. I read here that one Trident Sub with 24 empty tubes should pretty much take care of NK's threat.

The casus belli is selling nukes, plutonium or nuclear technology. Unfortunately, this can be done through China with China's connivance. However, if they're dumb enough to ship it by sea, there's a good chance they'll be stopped by the U.S. or coalition (Japan, Australia, India) navies in international waters. Proof that nuclear materials have been shipped could trigger an all-out U.S. pre-emptive nuclear strike. I don't think Bush would have a chance, and I don't think he'd shrink from his responsibility. Every one's eyes are focused on Iraq, but North Korea poses a greater threat of the big one. Once nukes or plutonium are in terrorist hands, it would be next to impossible to prevent a nuclear strike in the U.S. without turning the country into a perfect police state. The American people do not understand the consequences of such a detonation. The experience would turn even some Democrats into Jacksonian nuke-'em-until-they-glow-then-shoot-'em advocates. Our various enemies are skating on thin ice. They should study our Civil War and the 1944-45 strategic bombing campaigns in Germany and Japan if they're in doubt how Americans react if faced with an implacable threat.

"He said we are definitely going to "drop an egg" on NK"

Well, I hope that it is a neutron egg because considering the prevailing winds, I think the Japanese might have a few objections to the use of anything else nuclear. The aftereffects on them of a nuclear strike is unacceptable. A ground burst or air burst of even a small nuke, not to mention the ludicrous idea of emptying the tubes of a Trident on NK, would cause them great harm.

It would seem to me that the best way to go about neutralizing NK would be to attack with a combination of the new "flying microwave" cruise missles to disable the NK nuke electronics, and neutron bombs to kill a lot of people. The result would enable SK to immediately take over with most of the NK infrastructure, such that it is, in place.

I seriously doubt that your First Sargent [sic] has access to the war plans for dealing with NK, and if he did, I would imagine that his days outside the gray bar hotel would be limited if he revealed them to you. Also, I am having a hard time making the connection between our plans for NK and NASA.

I think this fellow is passing on the results of the barracks rumor mill.