Posted on 01/23/2007 6:06:43 PM PST by elhombrelibre
N Korea helping Iran with nuclear testing
North Korea is helping Iran to prepare an underground nuclear test similar to the one Pyongyang carried out last year.
Under the terms of a new understanding between the two countries, the North Koreans have agreed to share all the data and information they received from their successful test last October with Teheran's nuclear scientists.
North Korea provoked an international outcry when it successfully fired a bomb at a secret underground location and Western intelligence officials are convinced that Iran is working on its own weapons programme.
A senior European defence official told The Daily Telegraph that North Korea had invited a team of Iranian nuclear scientists to study the results of last October's underground test to assist Teheran's preparations to conduct its own — possibly by the end of this year.
There were unconfirmed reports at the time of the Korean firing that an Iranian team was present. Iranian military advisers regularly visit North Korea to participate in missile tests.
Now the long-standing military co-operation between the countries has been extended to nuclear issues.
As a result, senior western military officials are deeply concerned that the North Koreans' technical superiority will allow the Iranians to accelerate development of their own nuclear weapon.
"The Iranians are working closely with the North Koreans to study the results of last year's North Korean nuclear bomb test," said the European defence official.
"We have identified increased activity at all of Iran's nuclear facilities since the turn of the year," he said.
"All the indications are that the Iranians are working hard to prepare for their own underground nuclear test."
The disclosure of the nuclear co-operation between North Korea and Iran comes as Teheran seems set on a collision course with the West over its nuclear programme, although it insists it is entirely peaceful.
Both countries were named in President George W Bush's famous "axis of evil" State of the Union speech in 2002.
The United Nations Security Council has unanimously authorised the imposition of "smart" sanctions against Iran.
This is because of its refusal to suspend its uranium enrichment programme, which most Western intelligence agencies believe is part of a clandestine nuclear weapons programme.
France expressed concern yesterday over an Iranian decision to bar 38 UN nuclear inspectors from Iran, claiming that Teheran appeared to be singling out westerners from the inspection team.
Intelligence estimates vary about how long it could take Teheran to produce a nuclear warhead. But defence officials monitoring the growing co-operation between North Korea and Iran believe the Iranians could be in a position to test fire a low-grade device — less than half a kiloton — within 12 months.
The precise location of the Iranian test site is unknown, but is likely to be located in a mountainous region where it is difficult for spy satellites to pick up any unusual activity.
Teheran successfully concealed the existence of several key nuclear sites — including the controversial Natanz uranium enrichment complex — until their locations were disclosed by Iranian dissidents three years ago.
Western intelligence agencies have reported an increase in the number of North Korean and Iranian scientists travelling between the two countries.
The increased co-operation on nuclear issues began last November when a team of Iranian nuclear scientists met their North Korean counterparts to study the technical and political implications of Pyongyang's nuclear test.
The Iranians are reported to have been encouraged by the fact that no punitive action was taken against North Korea, despite the international outcry that greeted the underground firing.
This has persuaded the Iranian regime to press ahead with its own nuclear programme with the aim of testing a low-grade device, which would be difficult for international inspectors to detect.
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"The Iranians are reported to have been encouraged by the fact that no punitive action was taken against North Korea, despite the international outcry that greeted the underground firing."
I'm sure the table-cloth-heads are saying, we really should abandon our nuclear testing. There is international outcry, dammit!
Well, that isn't strictly true but quite obviously not enough happened publicly to dissuade the Iranians. The world will pay a price for inaction.
"Western intelligence agencies have reported an increase in the number of North Korean and Iranian scientists travelling between the two countries."
And what are we doing about it? The same thing we do about the known drug and human traffickers who cross back and forth over border between Mexico and the USA.
I thought the test the N. Koreans had was pretty much a bust. Still: I suppose any explosion is better then none.
It isnt surprising that N. Korea wopuld agree to help Iran,but Iran isnt quite in the same position N. Korea is. Their geographical location would pretty much force a harsh response to a nuclear test.
But so many wise government employees who were Vietnam vets or are Caligula followers have told us from their superior posterior orifices, that Iran won't have nukes for another 10 years. And you know that the Saudis are pushing oil down to $20 per barrel for us, and Iran has to pay just as much as we do for everything. Besides, we're paying hundreds of billions of dollars to run a perfectly good bluff on Iran now, and the mullahs and their neo-Nazi nation are all shaking. Iran only wants to nuke Israel, anyway, and wouldn't ever hurt Britain or the USA.
...no problem. Let's just grab whatever gusto we can get today and leave the problems of tomorrow for the kids.
[Little irony and sarcasm there for you.]
In my opinion, we have waited far too long: giving the Europeans so much time to do nothing but dawdle was not a wise decision.
Agreed!
OMG Monk that funny ROFL
Well, if Iran wants to work on plutonium bomb, it has to improve what N. Koreans have, because the NK nuclear test in last Oct. was fishy, the bomb's yield too low.
However, since they run a lot of uranium enrichment facilities, they could go for an uranium bomb, in which case their task is less complicated, I suppose.
You're right. There is a lot of wishful thinking taking the place of analysis and hardheaded realism.
Unfortunately, the people in charge in Iran are nuts. Anyone with good sense or decency doesn't get to be president.
As for a "dud" in the NK last year there is some speculation that with Russian help the NK's helped with design of a "Z" tunnel.
A "Z" tunnel makes two horizontal 90* turns at the same time making two 90* turns vertically.
The result is a reduction of seismic shock and neuron leaks. It would be unwise to assume the NK test was a "DUD".
Of course they are ... Little Kim's fireworks show was as much sales demo as it was test. What we need is for a Chloe O'Brien to tweak the design plans and, oh my, an industrial accident ensues. Does elBaradei also do OSHA inspections?
I know about the Z-tunnel as well. There are competing speculations: Z-tunnel, and rigging the blast. Since it was the first test and there was a pressure put on NK research staff to show results, it is possible that the first one was less than satisfactory. Now that they got the first one away, I am curious about the 2nd test.
If they put it off indefinitely, it could mean that they blinked or that they are not confident about their bomb and afraid to show that their bomb is really dud.
Was small seismic shock due to tunnel design or their bomb being dud? Nobody knows for sure. In my personal opinion, it was still a dud despite Z-tunnel design. However, the next one may be not.
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