Condiliza Rice got tough with the North Koreans after they tested a short range missile. In her statement, the Secretary of State said there's no doubt the United States can defend its allies in Asia, mainly Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea. Does Ms. Rice really believe we remain in Iraq, keep Iran at bay with its own nuclear issue, hunt Al Qaeda, protect Taiwan, and use the chainsaw favored by Mr. Bush and his inner circle (see Ms. Bush's comments below.) The answer is no, and the Koreans know it.
Responding to reports that North Korea launched a short-range missile into the Sea of Japan on Sunday, Rice said, "I don't think there should be any doubt about our ability to deter whatever the North Koreans are up to."
And, in reassuring South Korea, Japan and other allies in the Pacific area, Rice told reporters: "This is not just between the United States and North Korea."
A suggestion Thursday by Vice Adm. Lowell E. Jacoby, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, that North Korea might be able to strike American territory with a nuclear-tipped missile also has raised tensions and concerns.
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