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This is nothing new from the North Koreans. They've been brinksmen for decades, and the late Kim Song-Il played as well, if not better, than his son. North Korean foreign policy has seemed to revolve around playing as close to the edge as possible, and they're really the only one left of the old Cold War players that still plays the game in that old style. Starting a war is a losing proposition for both Koreas, but threating to start one hold lots of potential benefits for North.
Not to belittle the missle launch in any way since it does pose a huge threat to the region's security, but we have been there and done that already. The Bush administration has already conceeded that they have too much on their plate already to spend the resources that it would take to disarm the North Koreans in any sort of effective way.
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"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." - B. Franklin
"There ought to be limits to freedom." - George W. Bush
"We have met the enemy and he is us." - Pogo
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