North Korea threatens nuclear war.

North Korea is ready to answer a pre-emptive U.S. military attack with an "annihilating strike and a nuclear war," the state-run media said Monday. Is this just more saber rattling from North Korea? Do they feel neglected with all the attention going to Iran and now to Israel and the Palestinians? Let's hope so.

The Korean Central News Agency, citing an unidentified Rodong Sinmun newspaper "analyst," accused the United States of increasing military pressure on the isolated communist state.

The North Korean threat of retaliation, which is often voiced by its state-controlled media, is the latest chapter in ongoing tensions between the U.S. and North Korea which escalated recently when Pyongyang showed signs of preparing for a test of a long-range missile. source

President George W. Bush said, "Launching the missile is unacceptable, ... There have been no briefings as to what's on top of the missile. He hasn't told anybody where the missile's going. He has an obligation, it seems like to me and to the prime minister [Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi], that there be a full briefing to those of us who are concerned about this issue as to what his intentions are."

Koizumi said, "Should they launch a missile, that will cause various — we would apply various pressures. ... I believe it is best that I do not discuss what specific pressures we were talking about." Seoul announced last week the purchase of Patriot interceptor missiles from Germany. "Last week, officials said that South Korea had notified Germany of its interest in buying Patriot interceptor missiles, with the aim of replacing the country's outdated Nike-Hercules missiles by 2010."