Posted on 07/20/2006 7:27:28 PM PDT by snowsislander
Japan might look at its own nuclear arsenal if North Korea tests a nuclear weapon, America's top diplomat on the issue has warned.
Christopher Hill has been heavily involved in the six-party talks aimed at stopping North Korea from going nuclear.
He said that if the North went ahead with a nuclear weapon test it could have major repercussions in north-east Asia.
"The Japanese have to speak for themselves, but clearly if they tested a nuclear weapon, they're basically announcing that they're going to be a threat to their neighbours," he told ABC television.
"And their neighbours may have to respond appropriately.
"The mood in Japan ... there's a great deal of concern about Japan's ability to deal with this given their own self-imposed restraints."
It follows the passage unanimously of a UN Security Council resolution criticising the launches and banning all UN member states from dealing with North Korea on material or technology for missiles or weapons of mass destruction.
China has urged the North to return to the six-nation nuclear talks. Beijing hosts the negotiations, which also include Japan, Russia, South Korea and the US.
Mr Hill said even China was getting fed up with the attitude of North Korea towards the issue.
I don't like Mr. Hill's bit about "... announcing that they're going to be a threat to their neighbours"; at best, that's not artfully phrased.
But it is clear that revision of Article 9 is likely, and a simple repeal is a possibility.
NK with a nuke is the worlds worst nightmare.
If the word "they" is referring to NK as opposed to Japan there should be no problem.
"there goes the neighborhood"
Check out: chinaconfidential.blogspot.com
I don't see what's wrong with Japan or Taiwan acquiring nukes. After all, pretending like nukes don't exist is unrealistic, and with so many questionable countries with nukes (PRC, DPRK, Russia, and various euroweenie countries) what's wrong with Japan and Taiwan having them?
The left will scream bloody murder, but you are correct. Japan already has a highly efficient nuclear power program, which is basically all the infrastructure needed to ramp up a weapons program very quickly. They have the technology, the money, the people, and the motivation. I would also hazard a guess that major efforts are underway to improve upon U.S. antimissile technology, much of which has been shared freely. Frankly I don't think they could afford not to do all of this.
The Japanese atomic energy agency owns 20 of the world's 100 most powerful supercomputers. You don't need supercomputers to design or run power plants, you need them to do virtual nuclear weapons tests to know the design works w/o actually detonating it.
The Japanese Defense Minister has been quoted as saying, "If Japan decides on Monday that it needs nuclear weapons by Friday, it will have them."
So I ask you who'se got more fissile material on hand to convert to bombs in a hurry and who've the tech & resources to make a lot?
Certainly not some half-starving country I'll wager!!
"...by Friday>" That is the way I have always read it.
And by reprocessing spent fuel, Japan makes its own plutonium, which is currently just being stockpiled.
Then those that have them can't blackmail those that don't.
I think it is caled m.a.d.(mutually assured destruction).
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