It seems probable, at least to the North Koreans, and perhaps in fact, that they are the intended victims of this situation - and highly unlikely that they are acquiring nuclear weapons in order to start a nuclear war in which they would inevitably be obliterated. It is also a certainty that their actions seem rational and justified - to them. It would be a mistake to dismiss what they say as "mere propaganda" or to refuse to print it because of a fear of "spreading propaganda". I have seen many instances where the "other side's propaganda" represented how they actually saw things, while our pundits, politicians and editors simply treated it as a smokescreen for what they "really meant", in effect substituting their own interpretation without reporting what was really said.

To understand this crisis we need to know:

a. What is the North Korean general understanding of the world situation, their place in it and the US, South Korean, Chinese and Russian places in it. What do they think the US and South Korea are after and why?

b. What is the North Korean understanding of development over the last eight years, and how it affects them? How do they see the US game plan?

c. What is the evidence for and against their analysis?

Are there any readers who could throw some light on this?