Posted on 09/17/2005 5:43:39 PM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
/begin my translation
6-party talk: Light-water Reactor Issue, "Light-water reactor can serve as a deterrent" (N. Korean argument)
Mainichi Shimbun, 2005/09/16, morning edition
[Sato Jiyako from Beijing] A source from Japanese delegation to 6-party talks said at night of Sept. 15 that N. Korea explained their reason for insisting on having light-water reactor(s), saying 'the reactor(s) can serve as deterrent against attacks from other countries' because such an attack on a reactor could create radioactive contamination.
/end my translation
Comments by Military Analyst Kamiura Motoyaki
N. Korea unilaterally withdrew from NPT, and expelled workers from IAEA(International Atomic Energy Agency). Further, they dismantled surveillance cameras of IAEA which were installed at nuclear facilities. This created the heightened sense of apprehension for N. Korea's nuclear arm's development among 5 (neighboring) countries, which led to 6-party talks. They are ignoring the root (of the problem.)
Even if light-water reactor design makes it difficult to use for nuclear arms, N. Korea cannot construct nuclear facilities since it bolted out of NPT.
What is more troubling is the part, "Light-water reactor can serve as deterrent." This implies that they can wire large amount of explosives at finished light-water reactor plant, and blow them up, using the plant as a giant 'dirty bomb' if another country attacks. (Since the radioactivity would spread all over E. Asia,) this suicide scheme could work as a deterrent. This scheme is similar to deploying along DMZ long-range artillery or multiple rocket launchers tipped with chemical warheads.
Such an outrageous request can be supported neither by America nor its two neighbors, China and Russia. The fallout from the dirty bomb is global, and the neighbors are pretty apprehensive. What a N. Korean delegate told his Japanese counterpart may not be outrageous in N. Korean standard, but it totally unacceptable to Japan, America, and S. Korea. It is the idea self-destructive weak player can only entertain.
This amounts to saying that I want to kill myself, lend me a pistol, especially the powerful one whose bullet can (still fly and) kill many others even after it pierces through my body.
Let's see how China goes about rebuking N. Korea for this boneheaded idea. N. Korea's argument has completely broken down. It is irreparable.
/end my translation
Ping!
If the N. Koreans are thinking this, can the Iranian regime be far behind in thinking the same?
Yeah, I think they are in close contact. It would not surprise me if Iran resorts to the same tactic.
Maybe I should have pinged you to the article and #3, also.
Yeah, I think they are in close contact. It would not surprise me if Iran resorts to the same tactic.
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Two targets of opportunity instead of just one.
You know what Tiger if North KOrea working on this count on Iranians have this pretty soon
It works because it is scary to the ignorant.
The chernobyl reactor used carbon as its moderator. When that burns, you get carbon dioxide, which is taken up by plants, and then incorporated into their sugar molecules.
Another concern was release of radioactive Iodine, a gas. Children in Europe, in the area of the plume were given extra (safe) iodine, so they would excrete it, ridding their system of significant radioactive iodine as they also excreted the excess safe iodine.
Light water reactors use regular water (not water with deuterium) as the moderator and working fluid. No chance to release significant amounts of carbon or iodine.
Recent studies show that radiation damage near chernobyl was much less than expected, not to mention much less than predicted by the usual suspects. Communism was and is much worse than moderate levels of nuclear contamination.
Thanks for the technical confirmation, but as you know better than I, the nuclear reactions have been common knowledge for some 60 years. I had a VERY good high school science teacher, a former prof at MIT.
Having said that, my BS and MS in engineering don't hurt either.
I agree that it is a concern. But the local authorities have 20 years to come up with a better containment structure. As far as punts go, that one had great hang time.
I think if you check you will find the sarcophagus is in very bad shape.
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