I don't defend on North Korea's or Pakistan's side, but US or other nuclear powers in the world are not the legal authorities to prevent countries like North Korea, Pakistan or Iran from their scientific improvements in this realm (nuclear energy and/or nuclear weapons). How can countries like US force sanctions against North Korea's nuclear programs while US itself has nuclear weapons? And the sentence in this article 'if the militants take over Pakistan...' can NOT be used as a justification for the current sanctions or probable military acts, simply because US itself is a militants country. Doesn't US use its military power in forcing its will to other countries?

Elias, countries like the US, Russia, and China are trying to reduce their nuclear weapons. Hopefully eliminate them completely, since they are worthless weapons anyway. Nuclear energy is another story!. Can countries like Pakistan, North Korea, etc really handle nuclear energy safely. Considering their economies!. Would it not be better if every country could try to find better alternate sources of energy. Like tapping into the Suns energy somehow. I wouldn't go so far as to say that the US, Russia, and China are the legal authorities. But agreements must be maintained and not broken. North Korea needs to find other means to rebuild it's economy rather than selling arms to other rogue countries. Arms that could damage our planet for thousands of years. We can't just jump on a space craft and travel to another planet can we!.

I would like to hear Korean people commenting on it, it is easy to do assumptions when you are not part of the problem. Though, in general terms, it shows once again that the civilized society will never loose animal stincts. With a big spoon of hypocrisy we pretend to have the same rights and live friendly, but at the end of the day we are thinking about oursleves and the strongest man wins, like in the nature.

Hello Bob, hello Hpls. They might claim they're going to reduce their nuclear weapons, but they won't let go of them completely. Would they? And regarding the issue again, US misused nuclear energy once against Japan you know - arms that damage our people. But US didn't let go of nuclear weapons or energy for new sources of energy; US is still using this. Everyone, every nation needs time to master over new technologies and inventions. Or else, we should prevent children from gas or electricity for all of their life because they might burn themselves or even others. I guess nations understanding should be respected: it's not only US, Russia or China that can use nuclear energy and/or weapons in the correct way. Again, selling weapons can't be a justification: US is providing militant group in different countries. I don't mean because US is doing, so North Korea should do this too. All I want to say is that it's none of US business. All those factors and rules on the paper US and Security council uses against North Korea can be applied against US too. But as Hpls says, it's all about power. Might is right.

Bob K, countries like the US have proved that their defence of the "civilized world" is just a hypocrite pretense to push forth their interests ( don't get me wrong, I mean not the US people's interest, but the interst of a very hadful of persons). Stating that they will eliminate their nuclear weapons is either naive or trying to fool people. And the term "rogue state" has no meaning in my understanding since its use is solely made by the US and sometimes their allies (mainly the UK). In fact if their is any rogue state in the world, it would be the US.

The previous comments are very short-sighted. So far the predominatly caucasian type humans have managed to keep a certain control over the nuclear military technology. Simply because we have not yet found a way to kill poor peoples without doing any harm to the rich and powerful whose main concerns are power, money and sex. We must think for the futur and imagine what will happen if different kinds of humans from countries like Pakistan with other philosophies take over several governments. Beside if countries like France which promote a very positive demography, end up being a nation having a moslem majority, in least than 50 years . What will happen if such a country become an islamic republique, having an enormous quantity of WMD. If we had credible and really concerned leaders we could face and be ready for such an eventual challenge; actually, it is not the case. So far the 8 or 9 countries who have big stocks of nuclear arms could destroy all lifes on Earth a douzaine times. Stopping that insanity mean reducing many fortunes and obliging our decisions'makers to learn what mean the word: reconversion. Being conscient of that sad reality, shared by all intelligent humans, I have begged Russia to take the gamble; tell the whole World the true reality and initiate by her examplarity a new World-Order. It is really possible. Unfortunatly; your country's leaders influenced by the cynical hollywoodian Barnum-Obama-Circus, the huge amount of money to be made from the military industrial complex and your own armaments' lobby do not seem ready to get off that track. Let us hope that, in July, Mr Medvedev, Putin and Obama prove me wrong; otherwise: Sorry Future Generations ! Jean-Claude Meslin

It looks like the staging is being set for North Korea to attack South Korea and Iran to attackIsreal, possibly with nuclear weapons, when the U.S. forces are spread thin. The U.S. should aim their ICBMs at North Korea and Iran. If either country fires the first nuke, the U.S. should take that country out. It is time to bring peace back to this world.

There's no question as to if Korea, Pakistan, or Iran or some terrorist group use's a Nuke it's when, The West ( America and Europe ) unwisely got involved in world politics for selfish reasons and it has came back to bite us in the butt. To the west expansion ment jobs and prosperity for our people, however to those who have nothing and living in the 7th century our interferance seemed as if we were trying to take their Country's away, and so armed with modern weapons these stone age people will no doubt try to put all of civilization back to a level field with them. I suspect within 10 years or sooner we will all be back digging for roots for something to eat.

Hello Meslin. Our comments might seem short-sighted, but you do repeat Bob's sentence "what if a state like Pakistan with other philosophies take over several governments?". Hasn't US been doing this for years now? US has "other philosophies" too, and it has "taken over several governments too". Regarding your words about Islam, I should say, we can't blame Islam for poverty, civil wars or political issues in Islamic countries. If yes, then according to this logic, we should blame Christianity for wars occurred in Afghanistan, Iraq, Vietnam, etc. and Jewism for indiscriminate killing of combatants and civilians in Palestine. We hear, on the news, about suicidal attacks (with bombs) by Moslems and conclude Muslims are potential terrorists. But, we've already forgotten tragedies like Columbine High School Massacre or Virginia Tech Massacre and similar cases - like nothing serious happened. The word "Islam" has been a toy for West to use it for itself in different occasions: West supported Taliban (if not started it. Or else, Taliban was just a small group) against Communism and Russia in Afghanistan. And now, when Taliban got the power, "Islam" is a danger for the world. And that's just one example. These are all political plays and advertisements. We have to do a multi-dimensional study to understand the actual situation in Middle East and Islamic world - rather than repeating 'extremists, fundamentalists' put by mass media in people's mouth. Sorry to go off-topic little bit. I don't defend North Korea. All I want to say is that US is not the one to stop North Korea in its way to Nuclear bombs. The simple reply to US would be "why do you have Nuces then?". They might claim we'll reduce their number over time, but they won't get rid of them.

Whatever is really going on in North Korea wheather it is provocative speaches, demonstrations, the firing of missiles or alleged underground nuclear tests, other countires should realise that any backlash is feeding the military leaders. I think the media should stop providing North Korea with the attention its leaders appear to crave. Yes we should condemn their actions.