(LEAD) N. Korea knows how to miniaturize nuclear bombs, U.S. military agency says

Yonhap ^ | April 11, 2013 | Lee Chi-dong

[Jet Jaguar]

WASHINGTON, April 11 (Yonhap) -- A U.S. military intelligence agency believes that North Korea has learned how to mount nuclear bombs on ballistic missiles, a U.S. congressman said Thursday, citing a classified report.

But the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) still questions whether the secretive nation has mastered the sophisticated technology, according to Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-CO).

In a congressional hearing, he quoted the report as saying, "DIA assesses with moderate confidence the North currently has nuclear weapons capable of delivery by ballistic missiles; however the reliability will be low."

Both Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, refused to discuss the issue in the hearing, saying it is pertinent to a classified document.

The U.S. and its allies have paid keen attention to whether the North has succeeded in miniaturizing a nuclear bomb to be launched by missile.

The DIA's evaluation, if confirmed, likely would further raise public concerns about North Korea's threats. The North has conducted three nuclear tests and carried out several ballistic missile launches.

Meanwhile, Dempsey made clear that the military does not support the idea of redeploying tactical nuclear weapons to South Korea.

"We do not advocate the return of tactical nuclear weapons to the peninsula," he said.

Some conservative South Korean lawmakers have called for the U.S. to bring back those weapons to counter the North's threats.

Under the 2013 Defense Authorization Act, the Pentagon is working on a report on the feasibility and effectiveness of sending tactical nuclear weapons to Korea.

The U.S. pulled all of its tactical nuclear weapons, which can be delivered by artillery or missile, out of South Korea in 1991 as part of President George H.W. Bush's Presidential Nuclear Initiative.

[ConservativeMan55]

Gee wonder who taught them that?

[right way right]

If its small enough, all they need is a row boat.

[DuncanWaring]

Miniaturizing them is one thing.

Getting them to work is another.

Have they ever definitively done that?

[George from New England]

Maybe we should consider that the N.K.’s have been given a miniature nuke by a third nation. Hmm, how many suspects are there now?

[DJ MacWoW]

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[Windflier]

Gee wonder who taught them that?

Birr Crinton?

[Viennacon]

Well, it wasn’t Cape Verde.

[ASA Vet]

MI Ping

[batterycommander]

What!!! You mean George H. “Wobbly” Bush pulled out all our nukes from Korea in 1991? The Iron Lady was right about Bush. She never would have done that.

[familyop]

Oh, nooooo! Too late! They're all fake! Nothing but duds over there!

Hey, Meestah Keem! Wait...my dog has an announcement to make. He's squatting...about to say something. Oh, no!

My dog just gave birth to the little, brown Mr. Kim Jong Un: the indecisive, North Korean prostitute! Still standing here, piggy boy--waiting for some sign of decision on your part!

Hey, he who came out of my dog: where are those big, bad weapons you promised? Well? Mr. Kim?

And for all of our friends who informed us that all of our enemies' weapons were duds, etc. (and especially my former officers, who said that none of those cute little monkeys over there were very smart), chew on this. Have fun. Enjoy the slide.

End Of The World
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZ5WeXtOacU

[JoeProBono]

[gandalftb]

Nonsense.

Background:

http://allthingsnuclear.org/what-can-north-koreas-missiles-reach/

[HollyB]

Exactly what I was thinking

[DeaconRed]

Yep we have Scary Kerry on top of it.
According to Drudge this morning Scary Kerry said that Reagan and his missile defense (SDI AKA Star Wars) system was a cancer on our defense. . . . .
What an idiot.

[GreyFriar]

This morning’s song choices to go with the article:

The nukes are glowing for me and my gal.

or

There were nukes on the hill, but I never saw them blooming, I never saw them at all, because I was in the proper personal protective posture.

[zot]

If these two IRBMs have nuke warheads, they may be targeted on Okinawa and Guam. In any case, I hope we can shoot them down.