[jester]

Here are two other things that I haven't seen mentioned, or have I missed them.

the Norths Nukes. How many do they have? Will they use them? Most likely. That is a deterent and as we have seen in the last few years a chip that is used to blackmail aid and to wratchet up the brinkmanship, so they crank it up, extort aid and then return to the status quo.

China; in reguards of Immigration.

I have read reports that China has as big an immigration problem with N. Koreans fleeing their own country and sneaking into China as we here in the US have with the states on our Southern Border.

So, if there were a confligration I would imagine that alot of civilians from the North would pour into China from N. Korea. Can China handle such an influx when they are having economic troubles of their own? And would they stand for it? An unstable N. Korea where they would have to pour more aid into than they already are, with a population that is flooding their country and provinces and most likely wreaking havoc there. Would they either send in masses of troops to lock the border down? Or would they send forces into Korea to establish their own puppet leader, or aid the North?

We must also remember that in Asia the idea of "Face" is important. And has been the cause of some of the issues that the US has had with China in recent years, 2001 the colission of the Electronics Survielance plane and the Mig, the shadowing of US vessels by Chinese Submarines, the "lost" Chinese Submarines operating in Japanese waters.

Those are efforts of China to expand their sphere of influence. Since they are making efforts to expand their industrial capacity and their military capacity. After all, the US and its bases are a bit of a slap in the face to China, as we were the big dog in the area, and a loss of face.

So, how does "face" come into play with the Chinese in the event of hostilities between the two Koreas? Would they take direct action aiding the North? Move in on their own against the North? Take a truly passive stance? Take a semi passive stance against the North? Take a semi passive stance against Western Support and intervention of the South?