U.S. Helps America-Hating North Korea Build Nukes

Newsmax.com ^ | August 8, 2002

[rightwing2]

U.S. Helps America-Hating North Korea Build Nukes NewsMax.com Wires and NewsMax.com Thursday, Aug. 8, 2002

SEOUL, South Korea – A concrete-pouring ceremony Wednesday marked the beginning of a U.S.-led project to build two light-water nuclear reactors in North Korea. The international consortium pledged eight years ago to build a nuclear power plant with two 1,000-megawatt light-water reactors for North Korea, supposedly in exchange for the county giving up its military nuclear program. The light-water reactors produce less weapons-grade nuclear material than other models, officials said.

The U.S. is aiding North Korea even though:

President Bush has called the communist dictatorship part of the terrorist-abetting "axis of evil," which also consists of Iraq and Iran.

The regime routinely issues virulent anti-American diatribes, despite the food aid it receives from the U.S.

The regime continues to build its military even as its people starve.

The $4.6 billion project is being constructed at the village of Kumho on North Korea's eastern coast.

The 1994 U.S.-North Korean agreements said the two reactors would not be used for military purposes. How this will be enforced in unclear. The United States also pledged to supply North Korea with fuel until the new reactors are put into operation.

Another Saddam?

North Korea still has to allow U.N. weapons inspectors into the country to search for any evidence of its suspected atomic weapons program. The United States fears North Korea had before 1994 extracted enough plutonium for two nuclear bombs.

If the construction proceeds according to schedule, the reactors can begin producing electricity in 2008. Originally, the reactors were expected to begin operations in 2003.

Members of Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization, KEDO, the international organization responsible for building the plant, and journalists traveled to the communist north for the ceremony.

Jack Pritchard, the U.S. envoy for Korean affairs and U.S. representative on the KEDO board, joined his counterparts from Japan, South Korea and the European Union at the ceremony.

Pritchard said the consortium could complete a significant portion of the project by mid-2005, but North Korea must agree to inspections and comply with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

North Korea "must start meaningful cooperation now with the IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency] and must comply with all of its obligations under the Agreed Framework," he said.

"It is now time for us to see the same kind of tangible progress by the DPRK [North Korea] in meeting its commitments under the [1994] Agreed Framework, to cooperate with the IAEA and to come into compliance with the NPT," Pritchard said.

Firing a Missile at Another Enabler

The light-water nuclear project has been delayed after North Korea's test-fire of a ballistic missile in 1998 over Japan, a main financial contributor to the project, and because of time-consuming coordination among the KEDO partners. Work so far has been limited to ground leveling and excavation.

North Korea said the delay was causing an electricity shortage, and it demanded U.S. compensation for the delay. But Charles Kartman, KEDO's executive director, rejected Pyongyang's demand. He said the consortium has no reason to compensate, because the year 2003 specified in the deal is a target date, not a contracted date.

South Korea hopes the landmark concrete-pouring ceremony will further heighten the prospect of a thaw in relations between North Korea and the United States, with inter-Korean relations back on track following a deadly naval clash in June.

'The Construction Can Never Be Stopped'

"The concrete pouring means that the construction can never be stopped from now on," KEDO's South Korean representative Chang Seung-sup said. "Thus, it is a very significant ceremony."

Kim Hee Mun, who represents North Korea for the light-water reactor project, expressed hopes of an earlier completion of the long-delayed project when he met reporters. KEDO officials met in Seoul this week ahead of their trip to the North to discuss progress on the project, which is some five years behind schedule.

Copyright 2002 by United Press International.

All rights reserved.

[rightwing2]

This is a disgrace. Bush is following the Clinton plan to appease the North Korean Communists by building them a couple of nuclear reactors that the House Policy Committee experts testified in 1999 would enable them to increase nuclear warhead production from a few a year today to 60 a year!!! North Korea has had nuclear weapons since 1993, when it was revealed by CIA/defector reports to have had five. Today, it has many more along with the Taepoedong 2 ICBMs capable of hitting US cities. North Korea poses a far greater threat to the US than Saddam, which poses little or no threat to the US at all, yet Bush continues in his senseless diatribes against Saddam while appeasing the madman known as Kim Jong Il. Kim Jong Il is much more likely to launch his nukes against the US than Saddam would be even if he had them. Saddam is a more or less rationale actor while Kim Jong Il is much less predictable and more likely to attack his neighbors.

[mhking]

???!!!???!!!???

[jjm2111]

WTF Bump. Take that Bushbots.

[Uncle Miltie]

As long as these are nice above-ground easily bombed sites, I suggest we keep up the pretense for North Korea, while we take care of Iran, Iraq, and Saudi. A couple of years from now, when NK is the only axis member left, we can bomb the site to rubble.

If that is not the plan, Bush is following Clinton's treason by giving enemies nukes.

[Freemeorkillme]

Saddam is a more or less rationale actor while Kim Jong Il is much less predictable and more likely to attack his neighbors.

Huh?! Saddam is a more or less rationale actor less likely to attack his neighbors like say Quwait, Israel, Iran?????

[rightwing2]

BUMP!

[HalfIrish]

Any word on whether North Korea's submarines are nuke capable?

[caddie]

More idiotic, cowardly, appeasement from a terrible POTUS.

[rightwing2]

Excellent question. You may remember that back in 1993-94, the North Koreans purchased 40 diesel submarines from the Russkies that fire cruise missiles in addition to the 26 that they already had. These cruise missiles could easily be fitted with North Korean nukes provided that North Korean nukes fit the payload. These North Korean "nuclear missile" submarines could approach the Pacific coast and blast some of our West coast cities or they could be used to take up our bases in Japan, Okinawa, and Hawaii, our amphib transports, even our carrier groups. My only question is what is the condition of the boats. I will have to check my classified sources for the answer.

[SSN558]

The two plants refered to only as Unit 1 and Unit 2 are identical to the South Korea Quinshan plants. Our ally South Korea wants these plants as well becuase it will make the North dependent on them to maintain and operate them. The plants in no way can be used for production of Nuclear Weapons or weapons grade material.

One of the prime contractors is Hundyai Heavy Industries.

[GOP_1900AD]

Indeed, I reckon N. Korean warheads would be to Russian / Chinese mechanical envelope and electrical interface specs.