An interesting UPI news analysis on Kim Jong-Il's motives in provoking and embarrassing the US. (Capsule summary: Because he's afraid Bush's "axis of evil" rhetoric isn't just idle posturing and he wants to get the US resigned to a nuclear-armed North Korea while it still has its hands full in Iraq.) My favourite quote:

[T]he very gung-ho policy against Saddam that administration super-hawks and their media chorus have for so long claimed is essential to deter Third World rogue state dictators has instead encouraged one of the worst of them -- Kim -- to be far more aggressive, unpredictable and dangerous than he ever was before.