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North Korea is certainly the larger and more immediate threat to world peace. The fact that it has deployed missiles capable of hitting Japan and South Korea is a clear violation of all international law. Further, North Korea has also threatened to send missiles toward the U.S. State of Hawaii. If it were a contest as to which is the most dangerously paranoid dictatorship in the world, Iran is clearly almost as guilty of the same kind of threats. Many times, Iran has threatened to deploy nuclear weapons to destroy the nation of Israel.

Both North Korea and Iran continue to make ridiculously self-righteous pronouncements that their development of weapons are solely for self-defense against potential enemies. However, it's obvious the intent is to intimidate their neighbors and to thumb their noses at the United Nations and the rest of the world.

To add confusion to their manipulations, North Korea often stages well-timed performances of good intentions, claiming their intent to stop their development of nuclear weapons. They'll offer heartfelt calls for negotiations, but when it suits their purpose, they always return to their warlike posturing.

The hard-line leaders in both nations don't seem to be aware of the simple fact that when they actually do threaten to use their atomic arsenals, they risk their own destruction. If they have lucid moments of logical thought, they must realize they face much larger and more effective nuclear weapons from more advanced nations that can turn their entire lands into dust within minutes.

Another aspect is that the outlaw nations, particularly Iran must daily face the danger of a preemptive strike against them. Apparently they didn't learn a lesson when Israeli precision bombers took out Saddam Hussein's Iraqi nuclear capabilities in 1981. In 2007, Israeli bombers destroyed Syria's nuclear plant it was constructing with help from ... surprise, surprise ... North Korea. Further, on a July 2009 visit to the Middle East, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden spoke the obvious when he said Israel has the right to protect itself in any way it deems necessary, even if the U.S. government disapproves of the action. Are you listening from your bunker, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad?

All situations considered, if a choice must be made as to which of the two outlaw nations is a larger threat to world peace, it would still have to be North Korea. While Iran's leaders continue to posture about their nation's nuclear capabilities, they have shown no evidence of significant progress toward creating a viable military weapon and delivery system.

Additionally, as recent questionable election results and street demonstrations in Tehran have revealed, the hard-line Islamic government is not supported by a large percentage of its people. On the other hand, North Korea is as totalitarian as Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union were. If there has ever been any citizen opposition to North Korea's warlike stance, it was quickly put down. The recent firing of test missiles, despite world condemnation, clearly makes that dictatorship the major threat to world peace.

Learn more about this author, Ted Sherman.
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