The alleged use of special operations troops in the raid could signal a shift away from the controversial U.S.tactic of relying on long-range missile assaults to take out terrorist targets.

VOA: standard.2009.09.15

Most analysts don't expect North Korea to stage an attack on the U.S. or its allies and it isn't thought to have the missile technology to hit long-range targets.

WSJ: U.S. Flies Stealth Bombers Over South Korea

The threats against the U.S. are also hard to take seriously because hitting long-range targets is still widely believed to be beyond the current limits of North Korea's missile technology.

WSJ: North Korea Puts Artillery Forces on Combat Alert

For example, it expands the range of targets that can be attacked.

ECONOMIST: Electromagnetic weapons