"There is no way to prevent North Koreans from developing weapons of mass destruction. We would blockade the country, strike and destroy the sites." - These are not the words of Messrs. Carter and Perry. A senior Japanese defense official told me that eight years ago while the other two were still in the Clinton Administration. When the Japanese official said "we", he was, of course, referring to the Japanese Defense Force, which would in no way carry out such a bold action under the current political and constitutional constraints in Japan.

But he knew perfectly well that what Messrs. Carter and Perry wrote in the Washington Post was the best way to deal with the North Korean regime.

Nearly a decade after the Clinton Administration rewarded North Korea for its blatant lies about WMDs; we have consistently witnessed the rogue regime just getting worse. The country renewed its nuclear options, demanded another rewards from the Bush Administration and now threatened the entire region by provocatively making preparations for a test launch of Taepodong 2. Worse, the regime tries to make money out of dangerous weapons. Meanwhile, North Korean people are in dire poverty and desperately trying to flee the country at whatever the cost.

A successful strike will not only teach the childish dictator a lesson, but also effectively derail the country's WMD program. There will be some debates in Japan about the military option. But even those arguments are welcome, because, after all, the Japanese people will know that a friend in need is a friend indeed.