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Here’s How ‘Miniaturization’ Changed North Korea’s Nuke Game
Daily Caller ^ | August 9, 2017 | Ryan Pickrell

Posted on 08/10/2017 6:16:14 AM PDT by HokieMom

A ballistic rocket is test-fired through a precision control guidance system in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) May 30, 2017. KCNA/via REUTERS

North Korea has produced a miniaturized nuclear warhead for its growing arsenal of ballistic missiles, and that changes the strategic playing field.

The public was made aware of this aspect of North Korea’s capabilities for the first time Tuesday, when The Washington Post revealed parts of a confidential Defense Intelligence Agency report.

The Defense Intelligence Agency introduced that North Korea “has produced nuclear weapons for ballistic missile delivery, to include delivery by ICBM-class missiles.” While it is unclear when the U.S. military first arrived at this conclusion, there is a good chance the U.S. knew about this development well before the news broke Tuesday.

The sudden revelation that North Korea can mount nuclear weapons on ballistic missiles was undoubtedly shocking for many readers, especially given North Korea’s recent tests of an intercontinental ballistic missile that expert observers suspect could strike targets across the U.S. However, it appears North Korea has had the ability to mount a nuclear bomb on a ballistic missile for some time now.

North Korean state media released an image last March of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un standing next to a spherical device that some analysts call the “disco ball.” Pyongyang claimed that the object in the picture was a nuclear warhead. In September, North Korea conducted its fifth nuclear weapons test, after which they asserted that the North can mount nuclear warheads on ballistic missiles.

“North Korea almost certainly has a compact fission warhead capable of fitting on a future ICBM,” Jeffrey Lewis, the director of the East Asia Nonproliferation Program in the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, wrote in a Foreign Affairs article prior to North Korea’s first test of an ICBM in early July.

“The major question now is not whether the warhead is small enough to mount on an ICBM — it is,” he explained.

“I think we should presume the North Koreans are capable of putting nukes on missiles of all ranges, not merely because they say so, but because that is credible for a state that conducted its fourth and fifth nuclear tests in 2016,” Joshua Pollack, editor of The Nonproliferation Review and senior research associate in the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, explained to The Daily Caller News Foundation. “The U.S. and China, once each, fired a nuclear weapon on a missile and detonated it in the atmosphere, back in the 1960s. To the best of my knowledge, no other state has ever done so.”

“We should not require the North Koreans to do so in order to accept that they have this capability,” Pollack said.

North Korea conducted its first nuclear test in 2006. A decade later, the regime conducted two tests in the same year, bringing the total number of tests up to five.

“China, by the time of its fifth nuclear test, had both built a nuclear weapon small enough to be delivered by a missile and developed the basic principles for the massive thermonuclear weapon it would test next,” Lewis explained.

“There isn’t 100 percent proof that they have a warhead that would go on this missile,” Melissa Hanham, a senior research associate at the East Asia Nonproliferation Program in the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, previously told TheDCNF, referring to the new ICBM. “Although I suspect that after five nuclear tests that it is very probable that they could do such a thing.”

North Korea has accelerated its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile development programs, testing two nuclear weapons and around two dozen missiles last year. This year, the North has tested a collection of new short-, medium-, intermediate-, and long-range missiles.

In response, the U.S. and its allies have stepped up their defense capabilities. The U.S. and South Korea are moving Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile systems onto the Korean Peninsula, a process that started last year. In recent months, the U.S. has conducted its own ICBM tests to ensure that its nuclear deterrent remains intact and has carried out interceptor tests to demonstrate the ability to stop a North Korean missile headed towards the U.S. or an ally. The U.S. and its allies are working harder to ensure that they can counter North Korean developments.

The shock in the wake of the revelation that North Korea can produce miniaturized nuclear warheads stems from a perpetual desire to downplay the country’s capabilities. Earlier this year, it was not uncommon to see reports assessing that North Korea could not produce an ICBM, could not develop a reliable re-entry vehicle, and could not miniaturize a nuclear bomb.

But, here we are, with the U.S. and its allies staring down an almost fully-armed nuclear North Korean state.


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs
KEYWORDS: nknukes; third100days; trumpasia
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1 posted on 08/10/2017 6:16:14 AM PDT by HokieMom
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To: HokieMom

Worst President Ever: Obama Knew North Korea Was a Threat, Didn’t Have the Spine to Deal With It.

http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2017/08/worst-president-ever-obama-knew-north-korea-threat-didnt-spine-deal/


2 posted on 08/10/2017 6:18:07 AM PDT by HokieMom (Pacepa : Can the U.S. afford a president who can't recognize anti-Americanism?)
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To: HokieMom

“Obama Knew North Korea Was a Threat, Didn’t Have the Spine to Deal With It.”

I disagree.

muslims were of course the Fraud’s Chosen People, but he and his handlers actively sided with anyone with an agenda against the United States.


3 posted on 08/10/2017 6:20:50 AM PDT by treetopsandroofs (Had FDR been GOP, there would have been no World Wars, just "The Great War" and "Roosevelt's Wars".)
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To: HokieMom

Information designed to diminish Trump. I read a story that Obama knew in 2013 about their ability to miniaturize. Yet the news didn’t reach the public. And Obama ‘warned’ that the Norks nuclear abilities would surface ‘during Trump’s tenure’. And a short 6 months later it has surfaced and the Fake News Industry is blaming Trump’s rhetoric for the escalation and fear. WHAT HYPOCRITES! ALL OF THEM!


4 posted on 08/10/2017 6:20:53 AM PDT by originalbuckeye ("In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act." - George Orwell)
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To: HokieMom
The shock in the wake of the revelation that North Korea can produce miniaturized nuclear warheads stems from a perpetual desire to downplay the country’s capabilities. Earlier this year, it was not uncommon to see reports assessing that North Korea could not produce an ICBM, could not develop a reliable re-entry vehicle, and could not miniaturize a nuclear bomb.

Reminds me of the crap the obama administration and their apologists were/are putting out about Iran's capabilities. How long before we all wake up one day to the news that they've got deliverable nukes?

5 posted on 08/10/2017 6:21:46 AM PDT by pgkdan (The Silent Majority Stands With TRUMP!)
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To: HokieMom
Post revealed parts of a confidential Defense Intelligence Agency report

How can anything a bureaucrat touches, or knows about, ever be called "confidential" again?

6 posted on 08/10/2017 6:24:18 AM PDT by Migraine (Diversity is great- -- until it happens to YOU.)
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To: All

The Fraud’s only incompetence was in his reading and speaking “ability”, which is why he always needed Big Media to tell us what a great speaker he was, and his beloved teleprompters, even for speaking to grade school children.


7 posted on 08/10/2017 6:25:17 AM PDT by treetopsandroofs (Had FDR been GOP, there would have been no World Wars, just "The Great War" and "Roosevelt's Wars".)
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To: HokieMom
"Earlier this year, it was not uncommon to see reports assessing that North Korea could not produce an ICBM, could not develop a reliable re-entry vehicle, and could not miniaturize a nuclear bomb."

They don't have to re-enter to be used as an EMP. Also, the NORKS put a satellite over the crowd of Super Bowl 50 in Levi Stadium. It is still in orbit. You can track it HERE.
8 posted on 08/10/2017 6:26:15 AM PDT by DocRock (And now is the time to fight! Peter Muhlenberg)
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To: HokieMom

As I understand it, Barky knew about it since 2013, and neither said nor did anything about it. I wonder whether Pres. Trump was informed of it during the transfer, or if it had to leak to WAPO before he learned about it?


9 posted on 08/10/2017 6:31:22 AM PDT by Tucker39 (Read: Psalm 145. The whole psalm.....aloud; as praise to our God.)
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To: DocRock
From Feb of 2016 - North Korea's new satellite flew over Super Bowl site
10 posted on 08/10/2017 6:33:20 AM PDT by DocRock (And now is the time to fight! Peter Muhlenberg)
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To: treetopsandroofs

Obama’s speaking ability;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=poz6W0znOfk


11 posted on 08/10/2017 6:34:09 AM PDT by dynoman (Objectivity is the essence of intelligence. - Marilyn vos Savant)
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To: HokieMom

Guidance systems from China, from Loral, under the aegis of clinton.

Did the miniaturization technology arrive from Iran, under the aegis of obama?


12 posted on 08/10/2017 6:34:50 AM PDT by null and void (ObamaCare, giving the government the power of life and death over Americans since March 23, 2010...)
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To: DocRock
They don't have to re-enter to be used as an EMP.

Yup, and an enhanced effect weapon is designed to dump most of its energy to create that EMP pulse, and less to the earth shattering boom.

A test of such a weapon would have a relatively small blast.

Every weapons test the Norks did was reported as a dud or very low yield...

13 posted on 08/10/2017 6:39:46 AM PDT by null and void (ObamaCare, giving the government the power of life and death over Americans since March 23, 2010...)
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To: null and void

I think it is very likely that this is a false flag operation.
Most likely these are Chinese nukes, and missiles.
The NORKS are doing the dirty work for the Chinks. Meanwhile, they’re sitting back saying “who? me?”.


14 posted on 08/10/2017 6:40:54 AM PDT by Flintlock (The ballot box STOLEN, our soapbox taken away--the BULLET BOX is left to us.)
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To: dynoman
Impressive, better than jib-jab, haha. Ah, the memories... Big Media fawning over the "fainters" at his speeches, redefining his name to mean "cool", and all the LIES to support their god. Trump Goes Hard https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcGPSnswzjc One of the comments: "This is better than most rap songs."
15 posted on 08/10/2017 6:45:20 AM PDT by treetopsandroofs (Had FDR been GOP, there would have been no World Wars, just "The Great War" and "Roosevelt's Wars".)
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To: HokieMom
I find it absolutely fascinating how many conservatives will give credit to the Defense Intelligence Agency for a report, yet will laugh at NASA or the EPA’s fascination with ‘global warming.’ Or ‘transgender issues’ by the DOJ.
16 posted on 08/10/2017 6:48:36 AM PDT by kingu (Everything starts with slashing the size and scope of the federal government.)
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To: HokieMom

Their nuke facility needs to have an “accident”, very soon.


17 posted on 08/10/2017 7:14:09 AM PDT by JimRed ( TERM LIMITS, NOW!“At 9 a.m. this morning a shipbo Building the Wall! TRUTH is the new HATE SPEECH)
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To: Flintlock

China loosens the leash so they can get concessions from us for tightening it again.

Still NK could well be the plausible deniability China needs for nuking us.


18 posted on 08/10/2017 7:16:38 AM PDT by null and void (ObamaCare, giving the government the power of life and death over Americans since March 23, 2010...)
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To: null and void

This is the threat. EMP, not ground burst


19 posted on 08/10/2017 7:31:51 AM PDT by DocRock (And now is the time to fight! Peter Muhlenberg)
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To: HokieMom
Here’s How ‘Miniaturization’ Changed North Korea’s Nuke Game

We can only thank the Clintoons for giving this information to the Chicoms!

This rogue regime of NK needs to give a big donation to the Clintoon foundation since the Chicoms gave generously to the Clintoon foundation. Isn't that special! Not!!!

With friends like the Clintoons and the America Hating, Marxist, Mooselimb, Imposter Obama who needs enemies!

20 posted on 08/10/2017 8:28:25 AM PDT by TheConservativeTejano (God Bless Texas...)
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