Posted on 06/15/2009 2:01:30 AM PDT by maquiladora
South Korean and U.S. intelligence authorities have begun surveillance on 11 North Korean sites for a possible third nuclear test, news reports here said yesterday.
"(We) have started running a surveillance network based on information that Pyongyang may conduct a third nuclear test in protest of the United Nations Security Council's sanctions," a local daily quoted an unnamed South Korean intelligence source as saying.
The candidate sites for a third nuclear test lie mostly in the northern part of the reclusive state -- especially in the rocky areas of Hamgyeong and Pyeongan Provinces.
One of them is Geumchang-ri of North Pyeongan Province, previously suspected by U.S. intelligence as the location of a possible nuclear facility in 1998, according to the vernacular daily.
Washington had sent a fact-finding team to Geumchang-ri in exchange for providing 600,000 tons of rice to North Korea, but failed to find any proof of nuclear activities there.
There are some 8,200 underground military facilities across North Korea, according to the South's Defense Ministry.
Yesterday's report on a possible third nuclear test has not yet been confirmed by any government official.
North Korea's declaration of uranium enrichment on Saturday struck many as deja vu of a decade-long game of "truth or dare" as to whether the Stalinist state is really capable of producing nuclear weapons soon.
"The process of uranium enrichment will be commenced," the North Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman said in a statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency on Saturday.
North Korea "would weaponize all plutonium and we've processed more than one-third of our spent nuclear fuel rods," he said.
The North, which drew condemnation around the world after its second nuclear test on May 25, said it has had "enough success" in developing uranium enrichment technology and was experimenting.
In October 2002, then U.S. special envoy James Kelly raised suspicions during his visit to Pyongyang that North Korea planned to run a highly-enriched uranium program, a second track to developing nuclear bombs on top of reprocessing fuel rods for plutonium.
According to diplomatic sources here, North Korean vice foreign minister Kang Sok-ju asked Kelly, "what is wrong with us having an HEU plan?"
"We have the right to proceed with our HEU plan and we plan to produce even stronger weapons," Kang was quoted as saying by sources.
A day before Kelly's meeting with Kang, the U.S. delegation had pointed out to North Korean foreign minister Kim Kye-kwan that Pyongyang's purported HEU program was a serious violation of the 1994 Geneva Agreement.
Kim denied Kelly's suspicion, demanding proof, according to sources.
Apparently, Kang, who "represents the Workers' Party and the government of DPRK," decided to revert what his colleague said a day earlier.
Washington classified the results of Kelly's visit to Pyongyang confidential for some days until it issued a statement by the State Department spokesman on Oct. 16, 2002, saying it has gathered intelligence that suggests North Korea had an HEU program and that Pyongyang acknowledged having such a program.
North Korea said in a statement by its foreign ministry spokesman nine days later, saying it was open to "resolving the (HEU program) issue through negotiations."
Apparently, it did not deny nor acknowledge the existence of a HEU program.
Nearly four months later, North Korea said through its foreign ministry spokesman on Jan. 29, 2003, that "regarding his (Kelly's) words, there was nothing to admit and no need to deny."
On Jan. 30, then North Korean ambassador to Geneva said in a media interview that, "we make it clear that we have never acknowledged an HEU program."
The Geneva Agreement signed between North Korea and the Bill Clinton administration in 1995 lost luster during the HEU speculation in late 2002.
A six-nation discussion system was established in August 2003 instead.
North Korea has denied the existence of an HEU program over the five years of six-party talks since.
Several policymakers under former South Korean president Kim Dae-jung had raised a conspiracy theory that neoconservatives within the South exaggerated Pyongyang's HEU-related moves as an imminent security crisis.
The obscure question mark remained until last Saturday when North Korea officially declared it would enrich uranium in protest of the UNSC Resolution 1874.
A new truth or dare has now begun over whether North Korea has accumulated enough technology to move on to HEU from low-enriched uranium, which is used to run nuclear reactors to produce energy.
(sophie@heraldm.com)
By Kim So-hyun
We need to off their top government officials.
Baghdad Bob must be moonlighting for the Norkies, making boasts far beyond anything possible.
It’s going to be everywhere. Frackig lovely.No emasculation aside.
Previously...
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2270922/posts
“N. Korea vows to start enriching uranium, weaponize new plutonium”
Yonhap ^
Posted on June 12, 2009 11:49:12 PM PDT by maquiladora
4th of July weekend?
Another Jimmy Carter failure.
Note: The following text is a quote:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2272397/posts
North Korea’s May nuclear test few kilotons: U.S.
reuteurs ^ | 6/15/09 | reuteurs
Posted on June 15, 2009 3:26:10 PM PDT by Flavius
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States has determined that the nuclear test conducted by North Korea last month yielded an explosion of a few kilotons, the U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence said on Monday.
“The U.S. intelligence community assesses that North Korea probably conducted an underground nuclear explosion in the vicinity of Punggye on May 25, 2009,” the office said in a statement. “The explosion yield was approximately a few kilotons.”
North Korea’s first nuclear test, in 2006, was about one kiloton.
Shortly after this year’s blast, Russia said it estimated the explosion at about 20 kilotons, or about equal to the U.S. atom bomb dropped on Nagasaki in Japan in World War Two.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Note: The following text is a quote:
http://www.dni.gov/press_releases/20090615_release.pdf
OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE
PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE
WASHINGTON, D.C.
20511
NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ODNI News Release No. 23-09
June 15, 2009
STATEMENT BY THE OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE
ON NORTH KOREA’S DECLARED NUCLEAR TEST ON MAY 25, 2009
“The U.S. Intelligence Community assesses that North Korea probably conducted an underground nuclear explosion in the vicinity of P’unggye on May 25, 2009. The explosion yield was approximately a few kilotons.
Analysis of the event continues.”
# # #
Previously...
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2257577/posts
“Magnitude 4.7 - NORTH KOREA [Update - underground nuclear test]”
United States Geological Survey ^ | May 24, 2008
Posted on May 24, 2009 7:19:11 PM PDT by Strategerist
Note: The following post is a quote:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2272673/posts
N.Korean Heir Apparent Linked to Assassination Plot (Kim Jon-Il #3 son tries to kill #1 son)
Chosun Ilbo ^ | 06/16/09 | Chosun Ilbo
Posted on June 15, 2009 10:56:55 PM PDT by AKSurprise
Close aides of Kim Jong-un, the 26-year-old third son and heir apparent of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, last week attempted to assassinate the leader’s first son Jong-nam, KBS reported Monday citing Chinese government sources.
Aides to Kim Jong-un planned to assassinate Jong-nam, who lives in Macau, after first eliminating his close aides in North Korea. The sources said, “It seems they tried to assassinate Kim Jong-nam without telling Kim Jong-il.”
The plan was foiled when the Chinese government found out about it early last week. “The Chinese government warned North Korea to stop the assassination attempt, and sent intelligence and military officers to Macau and spirited Kim Jong-nam to a safe place,” the sources said.
In protest against North Korea’s nuclear test and the assassination plan, China reportedly shelved all collaboration projects with North Korea such as developing natural resources and building infrastructure, part of projects celebrating the “China-North Korea Friendship Year.” The sources said China also delivered a message that it would halt food and fuel assistance if North Korea continues its provocations.
The sources said the reason China was protecting Kim Jong-nam is because he has been developing friendships with high-ranking Chinese officials for a long time. KBS said Kim Jong-nam is likely to weigh option of seeking asylum in China.
NEW THREAD:
Note: The following post is a quote:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2272682/posts
N.Korean Launch Pad ‘Ready for Missile Test’
Chosun Ilbo ^ | 06/16/09
Posted on June 15, 2009 11:24:56 PM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
N.Korean Launch Pad ‘Ready for Missile Test’
A satellite image taken on June 3 shows part of what analysts says is a new long-range missile base in North Korea.
North Korea has finished preparatory work at a missile launch pad in Tongchangri, North Pyongan Province, where a long-range missile has been transported, a South Korean government source said Monday. “But the launch is not imminent because no radar has been set up and no missile has been installed at the launch pad,” the source added.
But the launch structure connecting electric power and fuel to the missile and allowing personnel to check the missile has been erected. That means North Korea is speeding up preparations to launch a long-range missile there.
Expert analysis of satellite photos shows the launch structure is about 50 m high, much higher than the 30 m it had previously been believed to be. A launch pad of this height is capable of firing an intercontinental ballistic missile measuring 40 m or longer.
The old launch pad at the Musudanri launch site in North Hamgyong Province is a mere 32m high. The whole Tongchangri launch site actually seems to be three times as large.
But experts are still divided on when and what kind of missile the North will fire, the source added. There is a likelihood that North Korea will conduct a third nuclear test in resistance to the UN Security Council’s adoption last week of a resolution sanctioning it over the last one.
South Korean and U.S. intelligence authorities are watching for signs of another nuclear test, having spotted constant moves of personnel and vehicles in the Punggyeri area in Kilju-gun, North Hamgyong Province, where it conducted the first and second nuclear tests.
South Korean and U.S. intelligence services are watching two or three locations as possible candidate sites for another nuclear test. The likeliest candidate site is the eastern mine pit area of Mt. Mantap in Punggyeri, where the first nuclear test in October 2006 happened.
I think the urgency on NK’s part is due to Iran looking down the barrel of Israel’s gun, since Iran and NK are closely linked to this project. NK does the actual testing, Iran provides funds and gets a working warhead design.
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