Gates says U.S. won't accept nuclear North Korea

the United States will never accept a North Korea with atomic bombs

The US will bomb North Korea with atomic bombs to stop them making atomic bombs. Great strategy!

Well technically the only way that America's nuclear weapons could ever be considered a threat would be if you were to acquire nuclear weapons yourself...

While I would like to agree with Mr. Gates I have one question: what is he going to do about it? Making empty threats is a good way to loose credibility. Starting to sound like Kim Jong Ill.

Maybe the Chinese would like to accept responsibility for supporting a despot? Guess we're not going to get too far with that either.

Gates says U.S. won't accept nuclear North Korea I guess he'll have to just keep on denying it.

N.Korea's had nukes for a couple of years now. The U.S. has accepted that up til now anyway.

I agree with ca1ic0cat; unlike when the US says jump and Japan asks how hi (base relocation, etc.), NKorea is more likely to not give a damn, or object outright. Neither side will accomplish anything on the issue, but that won't be anything new either.

Sarge - "N.Korea's had nukes for a couple of years now."

LOL! Sarge is getting confused with TNT.

The 'atomic test' 2 back was found - by a U.S. sniffer plane no less - to be about as effective as NK's 'satellite launch.'

The sniffer plane flew over the reported test sight and didn't pick up any trace of radiation at all.

But people like Sarge bought the rhetoric, hook, line and sinker.

LOL! SushiSake3 is getting nukes and TNT confused.

N.Korea conducted two nuclear tests - in 2006 and 2009, which produced verifiable earthquakes. Check it out!

Isn't it ironic how many Japanese would share the sentiments of the US as expressed through Gates but are but would sooner accept the US nuclear umbrella over them, yes entrusting strategic defence to the people that nuked them twice and feel justified about it.

North korean solutions and koreas solutions is hard nut to crack.

If there is a will ,there are ways.

Now,the way is ,all have been reluctantly forced to accept nuclear weapons in north korea,made from UK technology(MAGNOX alloy reactor).

If a nuclear weapon nation has nuclear weapons,how are we to stop them,start exploding/testing Tsar nuclear bombs like Soviets.

N.Korea's had nukes for a couple of years now. The U.S. has accepted that up til now anyway.

The US has not "accepted" it. Admittedly, the US has not started a war over it. However, ever since NK conducted its first nuclear test the US has been engaged in active efforts, short of war, to get NK to give up its nuclear weapons. NK thinks the US never will go to war over this issue, and NK likely is correct in that regard. However, if the US ever can persuade China to cooperate fully in imposing sanctions on NK, the US would not have to go to war to get NK to give up nuclear weapons.

sarge: "N.Korea conducted two nuclear tests - in 2006 and 2009, which produced verifiable earthquakes. Check it out!"

Any MASSIVE explosion under ground is going to cause seizmic activity, but both tests were proven to be non-nuclear. Hell, the new bunker busters the US wants would produce very large underground explosions that would shake things all around. C'mon, sarge... put a little thought into it.