Stop the nuclear threats: Sit down. Prevent a war.

LETTERS LETTERS@USATODAY.COM As North Korea gets closer to the ability to

threaten the U.S. with a nuclear missile, action has to be taken — either diplomatic or military. Unfortunately, there is no single effective solution to the Korean missile and nuclear weapon program. There are at least four solutions that can be tried simultaneously:

uFirst would be increased sanctions against North Korea.

uSecond, harsher sanctions against its major supporter, China, hoping that it can bring North Korea to its senses.

uThird, and very unlikely to succeed, negotiation with North Korea. With Kim Jong Un as its leader, it will probably renege on its promises.

uFourth, and most likely to weigh the most, is the threat of a pre-emptive military strike targeting in particular Kim’s base.

Will the combination work? Probably not, but it will put on record that Kim would be eliminated as head of North Korea if he continued to persist in his combined nuclear weapon/ ballistic missile programs. Nelson Marans

New York