Yes I agree that North Korea has overtly threatened an attack on the US although the question of whether they really have the means to do so is unclear. Japan must feel threatened also but the US makes light of the Korean threat because it wants to concentrate on its Iraq strategy. I doubt the US would act against North Korea in the foreseeable future.
The association between the Taliban and al Quaida is difficult to prove hence difficult to justify treating them the same way as war criminals. In fact Camp Xray interns are not even treated with the rights of domestic criminals let alone war criminals but you acknowledge that. While the Taliban harboured al Quaida and performed harsh punishments on the Afghan people under their control and frankly I'm delighted they became collateral damage of the pursuit of al Quaida, it seems very unlikely the Taliban themselves intended any violent threat to the US.
I was in the US shortly after 9/11 and experienced emotions of intense sympathy towards the WTC victims and towards the US. Those acts can never be justified - however the whole story is a much bigger and more complex one than first perceived.
