Could North Korea launch a nuclear attack on the USA

North Korea, in advance of a unanimous United Nations Security Council vote to sanction the country for last month's underground nuclear weapons test, today threatened to pre-emptively nuke Washington. Pyongyang has long been known for its provocations, but this one is scary enough to warrant asking: Could they pull it off?

The Stalinist state doesn't have that capability—yet. North Korea has built a long-range ballistic missile, the Taepeodong 2 (TD-2), which could hit the West Coast of the United States. That is, if it worked. The last TD-2 test was in 2006; it failed in 42 seconds. North Korea's longest-range ballistic missile that works, the Musudan, has a range of only 2,500 miles—not nearly far enough to hit the continental United States, some 5,600 miles away, or even Hawaii, 4,800 miles away.

The same month that the vaunted TD-2 disintegrated over the Sea of Japan, the United Nations passed a resolution prohibiting North Korea from flight-testing ballistic missiles, giving the hermit kingdom a way to avoid further embarrassment. So North Korea began testing a non-military rocket capability based on TD-2 technology—the Unha rockets. These tests haven't always gone well, but in December an Unha-3 successfully placed a satellite into orbit. Intheory, a ballistic missile based on the Unha rocket could hit the western United States, but not Washington.

The ability to launch a satellite into orbit puts North Korea close to an intercontinental ballistic missile, but significant technological barriers remain. After all, an ICBM must do more than get into space—it has to return to earth and strike a target. That requires a miniaturized nuclear warhead, a reentry vehicle capable of surviving a fiery return to the Earth's atmosphere, and a guidance system capable of targeting specific cities thousands of miles away. North Korea hasn't yet demonstrated any of these capabilities.

It is difficult to predict when North Korea might have the capability to nuke the U.S. Not only are North Korea's existing capabilities unclear, but so is their ability to improve them. Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates suggested that North Korea might be able to strike the continental United States by 2015 or 2016. More recently, General Burwell Bell, former commander of U.S. forces in South Korea, estimated that North Korea was five to seven years from ICBM capability. At that point, they might only be able to reach the West Coast, sparing the capital from fire and brimstone.

But San Francisco and Seattle needn't panic, as there would be further hurdles to a successful strike. North Korea's Unha-3 is a liquid-fuel rocket. Since liquid fuel is corrosive and can't be stored for long periods inside the rocket, it needs to be fueled prior to launch—potentially giving U.S. warning of an attack and the opportunity to destroy the rocket before launch. Heavy liquid-fuel rockets can't be moved either, preventing North Korea from relocating a missile to evade a preemptive strike.

Teddy Roosevelt once said that the United States should "speak softly and carry a big stick." North Korea apparently has resolved on a different approach: Speak loudly and carry a small stick, or perhaps no stick at all. So breathe easy, Washington. North Korea's just talking crazy.

why cant we just get along?????

We just seem to be itching for a fight and we seem to forget there are still some heavy hitters lurking out there who's Sunday punch could certainly create a big dent in our ego or even escalate into a severe headache.

vote for world peace and lets try and overt total destruction

U.S. scoffs at North Korea's threat of 'thermonuclear war'

U.S. scoffs at North Korea's threat of 'thermonuclear war' against America in revenge for sanctions White House dismisses communist regime's 'ballistic missile' threats Strong words from North Korea followed the U.N.'s approval of new sanctions on Pyongyang following recent nuclear test Secretive state threatens to end 1953 peace pact with South Korea The Obama administration today dismissed a threat by North Korea and warned that U.S. is 'fully capable' of defending itself from a ballistic missile attack by the communist regime. White House spokesman Jay Carney was responding to the North's vow to launch a nuclear strike against America. North Korea state media warned of a 'thermonuclear war' as an unidentified spokesman for Pyongyang's Foreign Ministry said the North will exercise its right for 'pre-emptive nuclear strikes on the headquarters of the aggressors.' Scroll down for video Show of strength: A mass rally of citizens and soldiers was held in the North Korean capital Pyongyang today after the regime threatened a 'pre-emptive' nuclear strike against the U.S. That threat came in retaliation for tough new U.N. sanctions against Pyongyang following its recent nuclear test. Carney says the sanctions further isolate North Korea and show its leaders what will happen if they defy the international community. He said the breadth and severity of the sanctions show the world takes seriously the threat of North Korea's nuclear program. North Korea boasts of nuclear bombs but isn't thought to have the ability to produce a warhead that could be used on a missile capable of reaching the U.S. In response to North Korea's third nuclear test on February 3, the U.N. Security Council voted to tighten financial restrictions on Pyongyang and crack down on its attempts to ship and receive banned cargo. The U.S.-drafted resolution, which was approved unanimously by the 15-nation council, was the product of three weeks of negotiations between the U.S. and China after North Korea's nuclear test on February 12. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, a former South Korean foreign minister, said the resolution 'sent an unequivocal message to [North Korea] that the international community will not tolerate its pursuit of nuclear weapons.' Threat: Kim Jong-Un claps at the launch of the Unha-3 rocket. North Korea vowed to launch a pre-emptive nuclear strike against the U.S. as revenge for new sanctions In response to the threat of a nuclear strike two days ago, the U.S. envoy for North Korea policy, Glyn Davies, said America will take necessary steps to defend itself and its allies. Referring to threats from Pyongyang made in 'recent hours and days', he called on the North not to miscalculate and said the U.S. was working with South Korea to ensure it's ready for any threats that arise. Democrat panel chairman Robert Menendez said the North's 'absurd' threat of a nuclear strike on the U.S. would be tantamount to suicide. More... North Korea nuclear launch backfires as rogue nation hit with fresh sanctions by U.S. and China aimed at crippling its economy Dennis Rodman cancels ALL television appearances after saying he and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un are 'friends for life' Villages turned into CONCENTRATION CAMPS in North Korea as brutal regime struggles to house hundreds of thousands of political prisoners U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Susan Rice said: 'North Korea will achieve nothing by continued threats and provocations. 'These will only further isolate the country and its people and undermine international efforts to promote peace and stability in northeast Asia'. The latest U.N. resolution specifies certain luxury items that North Korea's elite will not be allowed to import, such as yachts, racing cars, luxury automobiles and certain types of jewelry. This is to close a loophole that previously allowed countries to decide for themselves what constitutes a luxury good. The United Nations Security Council unanimously approve a fourth round of sanctions on North Korea at the United Nations headquarters in New York Response: U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Susan Rice (pictured) said North Korea would achieve nothing by threats US 'fully capable' of defending itself against nuclear attack Ambassador Rice said: 'The strength, breadth and severity of these sanctions will raise the cost to North Korea of its illicit nuclear program and further constrain its ability to finance and source materials and technology for its ballistic missile, conventional and nuclear weapons program. 'When North Korea tries to move money to pay for its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, countries must now block those transfers even if the money is being carried in suitcases full of bulk cash.' China's Ambassador Li Baodong reiterated Beijing's calls for a resumption of the stalled six-party aid-for-disarmament talks between the two Koreas, United States, China, Russia and Japan. 'We want to see full implementation of the resolution,' China's U.N. Ambassador Li Baodong told reporters. 'The top priority now is to defuse the tension, bring down heat, focus on the diplomatic track.' Council diplomats say the point of the new measures is to bring the North Korea sanctions regime more in line with the tough U.N. measures in place against Iran. They say the U.N. sanctions regime against Iran over its nuclear program, which Western powers and their allies say is intended for making weapons but Tehran claims is peaceful, has been more effective than the restrictions on Pyongyang. North Koreans rally in support of the threat by the Supreme Command vowing to cancel the 1953 cease-fire that ended the Korean War A billboard depicting a North Korean bayonet throttling a US soldier is seen during a rally in the capital Pyongyang on Tuesday Warning: Officials at a ceremony following a recent successful nuclear test in North Korea, which today sent a warning to the top U.S. commander in South Korea over its plans for joint drills Pyongyang was hit with U.N. sanctions for its 2006 and 2009 nuclear tests, measures that were subsequently tightened and expanded after several rocket launches. In addition to the luxury goods ban, there is an arms embargo on North Korea, and it is forbidden from trading in nuclear and missile technology. It imposes an obligation on the United Nations' 193 member states to block any financial services or monetary transfers that 'could contribute to the DPRK's nuclear or ballistic missile programs.' It also adds a binding obligation on countries to 'not provide public financial support for trade with the DPRK' if it could in any way support North Korea's nuclear or missile work. After Tuesday's announcement over the end of the 1953 armistice ending the Korean War, the North Korean state newspaper Rodong Sinmun, said: 'With the armistice nullified, it would be no surprise if a global thermonuclear war breaks out.' Although North Korea boasts of nuclear bombs and pre-emptive strikes, it is not thought to have mastered the ability to produce a warhead small enough to put on a missile capable of reaching the U.S. It is believed to have enough nuclear fuel, however, for a handful of crude nuclear devices.