Boy Blunder has really done it this time - we're up sh*t's creek without a paddle.

North Korea, in its first formal statement since Monday's claimed atomic bomb test, hailed the blast as a success and said attempts by the outside world to penalize North Korea with sanctions would be considered an act of war.

Further pressure will be countered with PHYSICAL RETALIATION, the North's Foreign Ministry warned in a statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency.

"If the U.S. keeps pestering us and increases pressure, we will regard it as a declaration of war and will take a series of physical corresponding measures," the statement said without specifying what those measures could be.Can you say 'WE'RE SCREWED'? I knew you could!

Naturally, Bush's first response was to call their bluff while denying any 'intention of attacking.'

U.S. President George W. Bush called for stiff sanctions on North Korea and said the United States has "no intentions of attacking" the reclusive regime. He said he remains committed to diplomacy, but also "reserves all options to defend our friends in the region."

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, meanwhile, urged Washington to hold one-on-one talks with Pyongyang, something it has refused to do. Mr. Annan also called on North Korea not to escalate an "extremely difficult" situation.

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said there should be a response to North Korea "thumbing its nose at the world community.'' He said there is a growing consensus on how to deal with the situation, and Canada will fulfill any obligations it has.I hope Canadians out there realize the depth of the sh*t Harper's committing you to - Afghanistan will look like a cakewalk by comparison.
World powers stepped up a hunt for clues about the test, with Britain sending refuelling jets to join Japanese aircraft trawling the skies for any traces of radiation.

The blast was believed to have been the equivalent of hundreds or even thousands of tonnes of TNT, and was strong enough to send seismic waves as far as Japan's main island. But verifying exactly what happened could take several more days, if not weeks, officials said.

If some Western powers are to be believed, the alleged test announced Monday by Pyongyang had a force of one kilotonne or less -- equivalent to the explosive force of 1,000 tonnes of TNT but far less than the 15-kilotonne force of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945.

At the United Nations yesterday, the council's five permanent members struggled to find common ground on how to deal with North Korea. U.S. Ambassador John Bolton said the United States would introduce formally a new draft Security Council resolution today, with the hope it would be adopted 24 hours later.That doesn't give us much time - to RUN FOR THE HILLS!

Seriously, a war with North Korea is the US military's worst nightmare.

This is decidedly NOT good.