# Could North Korea Nuke the USA? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 11, 2003, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-north-korea-nuke-the-usa/154325 "2003-02-11T09:29:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![FranticMad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c68b51/32.png) [@FranticMad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FranticMad)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-north-korea-nuke-the-usa/154325/41 "2003-02-13T19:51:11Z")
I believe that yes, North Korea can now, or someday soon, launch a nuke attack on US territory. _But only **once** _. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-north-korea-nuke-the-usa/154325/42 "2003-02-13T20:03:32Z")
It takes days to fuel a missle? ---
**Author:** ![Asylum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/53a042/32.png) [@Asylum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asylum)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-north-korea-nuke-the-usa/154325/43 "2003-02-13T20:56:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Dogface \* > \*\*If he didn’t, the US public would remove his head and mount it on a pike. Something that people seem to like to forget is that we are psycho. When we get mad, we start killing–and the madder we get, the more indiscriminate we get. \*\* Ladies and Gentlemen, our next Secretary of Defense. ---
**Author:** ![ChaosGod](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ac91a4/32.png) [@ChaosGod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChaosGod)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2003, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-north-korea-nuke-the-usa/154325/44 "2003-02-13T23:35:20Z")
A bit off topic but what the heck: What if a nuke did go off in some US city? And no nation, terrorist group nor evil organization took responsiblity What would the US do? Strike a few random hostile nations? ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2003, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-north-korea-nuke-the-usa/154325/45 "2003-02-14T00:41:54Z")
Pretty much what we did after Sept 11 – Find out who did it (or who to put the blame on) THEN go kick some butt. We have this hang-up about wanting to be at least somewhat sure we’re attacking the correct Bad Guys. And remember, prior to Sept 11 our biggest terrorist problems were all home-grown nut-cases. We didn’t go randomly attacking after Oklahoma City, we didn’t after Sept 11, we won’t after a nuke. But if we find out who did it - well, God help them. Because we sure won’t. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2003, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-north-korea-nuke-the-usa/154325/46 "2003-02-14T16:30:26Z")
“It takes days to fuel a missle?” That’s what they said. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2003, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-north-korea-nuke-the-usa/154325/47 "2003-02-14T19:10:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ChaosGod \* > \*\*A bit off topic but what the heck: > What if a nuke did go off in some US city? > And no nation, terrorist group nor evil organization took responsiblity > What would the US do? Strike a few random hostile nations? \*\* We would certainly try to determine the culprits. If none could be found we’d find someone to pin it on. I’d bet money on this. It would be exceedingly hard for the US to just sit back after an attack like that and do nothing. Somebody would have to pay even if it wasn’t really their fault. Once a culprit (or fallguy) has been identified it’d ba all over for them. The US would go after them with a vengance and the UN, world opinion and France be damned. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-north-korea-nuke-the-usa/154325.md?page=2)