by John Traveler

Created on: June 30, 2009   Last Updated: July 07, 2009

Iran and North Korea share some dubious similarities. They are both countries run by an extreme element of ideologically driven tyrannical rule: they are both countries with arsenals that include modified Chinese made Scud missiles and at very least possess a potential to wage nuclear warfare, they are both isolated from the rest of the world, they are both countries that George Bush referred to as part of an axis of evil, and they are both countries which could plausibly pose a threat to world peace. But do the North Koreans represent a greater threat?

Taking into account for just a minute the military status of the two countries, North Korea is a much more formidable presence than Iran, both in solders and equipment. In fact, North Korea has been one of the largest suppliers of missiles and armaments to Iran, ever since the United States embargoed sales of military equipment and any kind of aircraft to Iran in 1979.

According to statistics obtained from the Library of Congress, the North Korean army is 1.2 million strong, as compared with 545,000 in Iran. The Iranians have about 1600 tanks the North Koreans 3500. As far as a Navy, the North Koreans boast a total of 708 ships, 97 of which are submarines.

The Iranians in contrast, have a flotilla of just 65 ships, 3 being subs. The Iranian Air Force consists of just 84 helicopters, while the Korean People's Air Force has available more than 600 helicopters; in excess of 700 fighters including Mig 29's and Mig 23's, 80 heavy bombers, and about 300 transport aircraft.

Even combined, the conventional weapons that Iran and North Korea possess, when compared to the technologically superior arsenal of the American forces, don't even matter. For instance, in neither of the Iraq wars did the Iraq Air Force take down a single American fighter, while most of the Iraq equipment was destroyed sitting on its runways. Iran or North Korea against the American military wouldn't even be a contest, assuming a non-nuclear conflict.

The North Korean's have already tested several nuclear devices, so it is a safe assumption that they have a bomb. In reality they probably have several by now in the tactical nuclear class, in the kiloton range. The Iranians are working hard to get the bomb and may already have it, although they have never tested one.

A pertinent question might be, would they test one if they had it, given that proof of Iranian nuclear capability would make the Israelis extremely nervous? It is certainly a situation

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