Posted on 04/29/2005 11:11:00 PM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
Fri Apr 29,10:13 PM ET
TOKYO (Reuters) - The United States has warned the International Atomic Energy Agency that North Korea has been preparing to carry out an underground nuclear test since March and could go ahead as early as June, Kyodo news agency said on Saturday.
The report, which quoted diplomatic sources in Vienna, came a day after the chief U.S. negotiator to stalled talks on Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions said Washington believed North Korea might be trying to harvest material for a nuclear bomb from a shut-down reactor.
According to the sources, who said the information was obtained by satellite photos and from within North Korea, Pyongyang was preparing to test a small-scale plutonium device.
The United States had called on China to urge North Korea to halt its preparations, but there were no signs that Beijing had done so, the sources said.
Japanese officials were unavailable for comment.
Last week, following a similar report, a senior U.S. administration official said that Washington had seen no evidence that North Korea was preparing for a nuclear weapons test, although it had seen "lots of stuff suggesting interesting activity."
On Friday, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill told reporters in Seoul that a North Korean plutonium reactor at Yongbyon had been shut down for close to three weeks and there could be an operation under way to reprocess nuclear material.
The shutdown and the possibility of a nuclear test were of great concern to nations trying to persuade Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear programs through six-party talks, he added.
In February, North Korea said it possessed nuclear weapons and was withdrawing from the talks, in which the United States, Japan, Russia, China and the two Koreas have taken part.
The last round took place in June 2004, and repeated efforts to restart the talks have failed.
Hey Tiger remember you told me that you think that they test out in August boy that early celebration for Chia Pet Kim LOL!
That'd be to close to Israel, and the population is FAR more mobile than sub-saharan Africans.
Cite, please.
That's the bs the dems want everyone to believe. They don't have to believe us. NK itself is admitting they have nukes.
AU Contraire, or AWW Nah!---spend a little time following the US Navy via NEWSSTAND for example. You'll notice about half our supercarriers are on station without anything to do. The other half are in various stages of overhaul and are RELOADING. The entire sub fleet minus the San Franciso is loaded FOR BEAR. Note particularly that the modified OHIO'S are coming on line with their quiver full of tomahawks. Note also that the US AIR FORCE, except for a little support work in Afg/Iraq , has nothing to do! The Marines consider Iraq a training excercise and would pack up instantly if the need arises. Maybe the Army is a little busy but SO WHAT? The first dumbass to to test your theory will spend a lifetime regretting it. Try to remember that our military is MOBILE in a way that has never been seen by anyone anywhere. Hannibal would be impressed.
When you say poker hand you seem to mean we need a large ground force available? We will never again use a large ground force in NK tho. Relax and enjoy it. So far as intelligence goes don't misunderestimate what we know---NK is highly observable, for instance, when it comes to hardware and holes in the ground.
The word is "misunderestimate "
I, for one, can't tolerate the idea of a nuclear Kim family -- they are way too nutty. Time to act.
"That's the bs the dems want everyone to believe. They don't have to believe us. NK itself is admitting they have nukes."
I am sure NK has or will very soon have nukes. And they are zany enough to actually use 'em if they decide to.
My point is that the world community (and the dems) will not help us in any capacity to preempt NK's nuke program.
If we go after NK, we will go it alone. Again we will have to do all the heavy lifting. If it needs to be done, then fine. Our Iraqi intelligence failure will give all of our "allies" the excuse they need to sit this one out.
Wrong. I suspect even Kim knows that's wrong. He may not realize how well prepared we are, but he knows we aren't defenseless.
Yes and no. It will give them an excuse, but when have they ever needed an excuse for their cowardice?
By all means, let us test their test. ;) We haven't had a good bonfire in a while, and we do need to be sure we can take out the other guy's arsenal.
I am no expert, but while it's certainly true that N. Korean artillery could wreak havoc around Seoul and kill vast numbers, I don't think an invasion of the south would go anywhere in the face of the airpower we could bring to bear. N. Korean columns and divisions would look like the 1991 "Highway of Death" within a very short time.... correct me if you have specific information about how N. Korean troops could move at will without being decimated from the air.
"Our Iraqi intelligence failure will give all of our "allies" the excuse they need to sit this one out."
Hmmm. How about re-wording that a little bit, like the European countries, Israel, and United States failures in Intel in some areas".
I know it is a subject in itself, but the hell if I will sit by and not hear blame also assigned to the Germans, French, Brits and Israel for less then accurate intel they passed on to us over the years regarding Iraq. I do not wish you to have to repond, I sense you are aware of how the intel was shared over the past fifteen years or so. Just wanted to make a note on this point. Just take the example of "curve ball" and the German connection. They could have been far clearer earlier on, that this chemist was a total waste of time, but no they baited us and played games, and would not even allow us to personally interview the guy much earlier on. Again, I don't want to screw throw the discussion off from the NK issue.
One element that seems to be going un-noticed in this dicussion is the fact that the South Korean military is not just going to stand by and watch the goops rush their borders. What is wrong with you guys? Between the airpower we can very quickly provide both in sea launched cruise missiles, Naval and Airforce bombers and air launched AG ordanance of obviously a very very wide variaty ...coordinated convential missle and artillery counter strikes by SK and American forces on the border and deeper in, etc.. The NK would be extremly foolish to attempt a ground invasion. As one person mentioned, actions taken in both Operation Desert Storm and OIF show that once we zero in on any form of concentrated enemy their ass is grassed in no time. And don't think the NK military leaders don't know this. Perhaps the "ereaser head" is a clone of Saddam. Good for him. We will wipe their military out within weeks, if truely required, with out having to send ground troops. Every known enemy installation could get blown away. His army would be totally demoralized after getting truly hammered. Then the Chinese would step in and say enough is enough, and once again there will be a sort of temporary truce, less the million man NK army, and any airforce that dared tried to penetrate the South.
Actually, our air power doesn't have very much to do at the current time.
This is not 1950 and a North Korean invasion will result in many "Highways of Death" for any sizeable force heading south.
That's how I see it---Li'l Kim needs his army to remain in power and there is NO WAY he is dumb enough to point it south and watch it disappear. The words "target rich environment" have a certain poetic sound when applied to the little buttdragger. His reported 60 mile rocket shot into the Sea of Japan today is but another indicator of how much of a weasel he his---still wants more rice---but note he didn't have the nerve to shoot OVER Japan again. I've got a case of beer that says Li'l kim isn't going to be in power by '08. Any takers?
The SGooks themselves don't seem to be terribly concerned about the prospect of a 20 mile demolition area developing on their north side. Unless they change their Rodney King policy I guess we shouldn't fret too much ABOUT THEM. The NGooks do have a pretty impressive 180 MM cannon, and we have to have plans in place to deal with them, But if they ever touch one off pointing south they have to realize it would be an act of SUEECIDE (remember Lantos).
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