Dont think they will, do you ?

China will have a little word. Otherwise the US will get them. They may have a huge standing army but if they start a nuclear war, it won't be standing for long. Kim Jong Il is a problem overdue a solution. If he goes nuclear, a solution will be found very quickly.

the usa will nuke them.
unless they find oil or minerals woth millions ,you have to remember where the taliban came from and who funned them .
usa usa usa

Team America World Police I like the Democratic People's Republic of Korea title they give them, ruled by one man who inherited power from his father who is still technically the ruler of North Korea. He is also chairman of the national defence commission and supreme commander of the world's fourth largest army (and a complete fruitcake by all accounts)

North Korea is surviving on its friendship with China which would evaporate instantly if they did this. They'd be universally vilified and invaded in short order, so it'd be suicide and I imagine they're not that daft.

Their army might be massive but it's ill equipped and I'd question the morale of the average sildier to fight against the side they probably want to be on - one volunteer being worth 10 pressed men and all that.

There are no valuable resources in N Korea, very little of anything, including arrable land - that's why they're in the state they're in, as all the resources are in the south.

Even if it went nuclear, some weapons are such that ground can be safely occupid by troops within days.

Having been in the UK forces, I've done lots of exercises based on the Korean war scenario - in every event the North won by sheer numbers where nukes weren't deployed, whih we always taught to mean Game Over anyway, as it's considered a last alamo act.

The big question would be whether China would allow the US to get so close to it's own borders using milttary force - let's face it, it didn't turn out too well last time, did it?

I think that is the bigger, scarier scenario that lies behind all this, especially when you consider Russia are building their forces again and have been engaging in joint exercises with Chinese forces

See my signature for more info

On a lighter note, did you see on the same page the bear who stole a car! Barry

My guess is they'll be "invaded" by China if they look like they're about to do something stupid that threatens Chinese interests.

It wouldn't be called invasion but there'll be a few hundred thousand 'Military Advisers' on the ground with tanks over a few days and the current regime may retire soon afterwards.

a couple of half-arsed bombs doesnt really constitute a proper nuclear deterent, does it? They would get crushed in short order. And im sure China wouldnt dream of supporting them, China needs world trade not isolation.