North Korea Admits Nuclear Weapons Program

Fox News | 10/16/02 | Brytani

[Brytani]

Breaking News on Fox

Fox has just confirmed North Korea has admitted to the United States that they have a secret nuclear weapons program. This breaks a treaty signed with the Clinton Administration, in exchange for N. Korea not having nuclear weapons, the US agreed to build non-lethal nuclear plants for them.

Once again, Clinton's treaties turn out to be worth as much as his word.

[Darlin']

"I don't know. My #^%* wife has the set turned on to some chick movie and I know better than to interrupt that! "

FOFLOL. Bless your heart. :)

Yes, I think it has been on Fox and MSNBC. Here is an AP story in the Washington PostU.S. Source: N. Korea Says Has Nukes

[livis_dad]

North Korea Says Has Nukes
Wed Oct 16, 9:44 PM ET
By GEORGE GEDDA, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) - In a startling revelation, North Korea (news - web sites) has told the United States it has a secret nuclear weapons program in violation of an 1994 agreement with the United States, the White House said Wednesday night.

Spokesman Sean McCormack said North Korea was in "material breach" of the agreement under which it promised not to develop nuclear weapons.

The commitment had raised hopes for a nuclear-free Korean peninsula, but that hope is dashed for the time being, and relations with the United States are back to square one.

The two countries had just resumed high-level security talks less than two weeks ago for the first time in two years. It was during those discussions that North Korea informed the United States of its nuclear activities.


McCormack said the United States is consulting with it allies, South Korea (news - web sites) and Japan, and with members of Congress on next steps.


"We seek a peaceful resolution of this situation," McCormack said. "Everyone in the region has a stake in this issue and no peaceful nation wants to see a nuclear-armed North Korea."


"The United States and our allies call on North Korea to comply with its commitments under the nonproliferation treaty and to eliminate its nuclear weapons program in a verifiable manner."


U.S. officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said North Korea told U.S. officials that it is no longer bound by the anti-nuclear agreement.


The dramatic disclosure complicates President Bush (news - web sites)'s campaign to disarm Iraq under threat of military force, coming almost nine months after Bush said North Korea was part of an "axis of evil" along with Iran and Iraq.


It seems unlikely, however, that North Korea will become a target country for the United States much as Iraq is nowadays. With war plans for Iraq already on the drawing board and a broader war on terrorism still under way, threats against North Korea could leave the United States overextended.


Until now, the United States' main concern with North Korea has been its sale of ballistic missiles to Syria, Iran and other countries. Now North Korea's nuclear program is added to the mix.

The United States has been suspicious about North Korea's nuclear intentions for some time despite the agreement.

A CIA (news - web sites) report in January said that during the second half of last year, North Korea "continued its attempts procure technology worldwide that could have applications in its nuclear program.

"We assess that North Korea has produced enough plutonium for at least one, and possibly two, nuclear weapons."

South Korean Deputy Foreign Minister Lee Tae-sik said South Korea has consistently pursued the de-nuclearization of the Korean peninsula in line with international agreements.

"We urge North Korea to abide by its obligations," he said. There was no immediate response from the Japanese government. Japan and South Korea are treaty allies of the United States.

Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly visited North Korea on Oct. 3-5 and demanded that the communist state address global concerns about its nuclear and other weapons programs.

In response, the Pyongyang government accused Bush's special envoy of making "threatening remarks." The United States refused all comment on the discussions.

Under the 1994 agreement, North Korea promised to give up its nuclear weapons program and to allow inspections to verify that it did not have the material needed to construct such weapons.

But it has yet to allow the inspections, drawing criticism from the Bush administration.

The agreement also called for the construction of two light water nuclear reactors to replace the plutonium-producing reactors Pyongyang had been using. The reactors were being financed mostly by South Korea and Japan. Construction of the reactors began just two months ago.

An administration source said Kelly also raised with North Korea evidence that Pyongyang may have a uranimum-enrichment program. The program, which the United States believes would only be used to develop a nuclear bomb, began under the Clinton administration, according to the official.

Surprisingly, North Korea confirmed the allegation.

The Bush administration has not decided how to respond. "We're going to keep talking," an official said.

After months of tension with South Korea, the North resumed high-level talks in August that restarted stalled reconciliation efforts on the Korean peninsula — divided by the most heavily armed border in the world.

[AmericanInTokyo]

(N. Korea) Plutonium producing capabilities (a facility or more) confirmed. Japanese Sankei news ticker.

[Mo1]

You can vent any time .. I can relate to the hatred towards Clinton .. he hand pick his admistration because they would turn a blind eye.

Can you say Gore and Reno

[Shermy]

...because they viewed the visit of kidnapped Japanese to Tokyo as somehow speeding up Japan's warm overture to North Korea...

don't know, but from what I read, the visit to Tokyo enraged the Japanese further, not the other way.

[Letitring]

I didn't doubt these reports at all. I was wondering IF our news media would broadcast it, considering how much they all LUV stoopid Clinton.

[AmericanInTokyo]

if "the japanese" meaning the average person on the street, yes. I would say that "Tokyo" if referring to the Government, yes, Tokyo (official japan) was happy the visits could occur. but it appears to be backfiring in the court of public sentiment, due to the fact the kidnapped were complete brainwashed and you can see right through it and their families in Japan are very disappointed. These kidnapped, the ones who submitted to brainwashing or were otherwise useful to Pyongyang, were allowed to live. (Eight or so others were killed)

[maui_hawaii]

I am not in the mood to write a big long essay on this. My writing is not going to be good, but I will try to make a point or two none the less. I hope you get the jist of it all. I am going to try and be brief.

First, Check this thread for some background.

AmericanInTokyo quoted “ The ruling party's Chief Cabinet Secretary Fukuda announced to North Korea just now that "there will be no normalization talks unless you agree to meet and solve the issue of your nuclear development at once."

That is EXACTLY right.

Per the USCC report to Congress China is menacing and is a potential threat to Asia.

Bush declared “strategic competition” did he not?

Notice the warmth between this Admin and Taiwan.

Here is another link of interest about our new sub deployment.

Recently the PM of Japan went to N. Korea. We are dangling bait in front of the N. Koreans.

Also recently, China sacked the supposed economic czar to N. Korea. That was a big snub. TigerLikesRooster touches on the issue here, as far as competition, and loss of influence goes. That is a very important part of it. It’s the lynchpin.

Then look at this map

Chinese influence and offsetting of Japan’s power will be mitigated significantly if N. Korea switches sides.

I believe that is exactly what is happening. We are dangling bait on one hand, but threatening to whoop ass on the other.

The Admin is trying to heap pressure upon pressure on N. Korea.

I read one article where they titled Bush’s stance toward N. Korea as “hawk engagement”. It went on to say that Bush was engaging, but his style was way different than Clinton. Bush will turn the screws on them, and kick some ass if needed, but at the same time get to move in his direction.

At the same time, he wants N. Korea to change from the inside out, which many in N. Korea want themselves.

It will be tantamount to Kissinger’s 1972 China visit all over again only with N. Korea as the changer. North Korea is on the virge of defection from Chinese influence. Talk about HUGE! Remember the Korean War? Its part of the overall US strategy towards Asia. It goes far beyond N. Korea alone.

In the end, it boils down to this:

Domestically, it is putting the madalene albright wackos on their asses, and promoting a realistic Asia policy, the BUSH policy, and completely turning the Clinton view on its ear.

It is bringing to pass strategic competition with China, and upping our influence in Asia. That is the BIG part of it. Plus Taiwan being restored in stature is a key. Two borders right on China’s doorstep.

It is dealing with a threat.

All of that in one swoop. North Korea is not admitting all this stuff for no reason. They have admitted quite a lot lately. There are forces inside of N. Korea that want change, but the old school is stopping them.

Look for a gradual increase of presence in Asia from the US. Also look for N. Korea’s defection to the West.

The conclusion of the military review from about a year ago was to move our strategy from Europe in post WWII to Asia in the 21st Century. The landscape will be a changing.

[Letitring]

I know it's wrong to hate anyone, but I almost hate the Clintons. I do hate the Democrats, all of them. I also despise the "third party" voters. They will be responsible for putting more Democrats in office. It makes me ill. WHY can't they see we don't have room for a third party right now? It never works and we just end up with blasted democrats. IF we could EVER get a Republican majority, THEN we'd have room for a third party, gladly. God knows something needs to replace the democrats, while we still have a Country. I'm sorry and rant off. I don't mean to offend anyone, but it upsets me to distraction to consider even ONE more democrat doing ANYTHING in this Country. Groan.

[Darlin']

I know, it's disgusting how they protect him, isn't it ?.
I just checked CNN's website and to their credit they have it up in a lead story positon. They also have a couple of related stories. Don't know if they've aired anything about it yet though. CNN

[bagman]

Let's not forget that it was Jimm' Carter who went to North Korea in 1994 and laid the groundwork for the wretched pact with North Korea.

Part of the justification for his Nobel Prize was his trip to Pyongyang.

[bonfire]

Thanks, maui. Very interesting read. A global economic friend told me a few years ago "keep your eye on N.Korea. It's 'key'."

[Salman]

Any FReeper out there read Korean? Translation please.

[Salman]

Wasn't that deal brokered by Jimmy Carter...our proud Peace Prize winner?

In the discourse of international diplomacy "peace" means the state of affairs that exists when only Americans and/or Jews are being killed.

[Billthedrill]

Some provocative voices are wondering what in fact North Korea said to the American side, if they just did not deny, or they specifically admitted to it. Also, they question the timing; was it done just now to put the brakes on North Korea-Japan normalization talks that were speeding up?

Japanese leftists have accomplished the impossible - they are even more myopic than U.S. leftists. What possible difference would this have made if the Japanese government and the U.S. government sat on it for a month? This doesn't "put the brakes" on anything, it kicks the normalization talks into the ashcan of irrelevancy. They're in desperate denial, as the hopeful reference to "just didn't deny it" indicates.

Well, they needn't feel alone. All over the world leftists just got the props kicked out from under then with this one. The world isn't actually one whit more dangerous now than it was before the announcement, it's just that some folks just got their blinders torn off their heads.

[maui_hawaii]

Democrats and Repubs both desire reunifaction of Korea.

The Dems tried appeasement. Jimma is one of those.

Bush is a realist. Willing to kick some ass.

Same goal different styles. And Bush is not appeasing the wrong people in this. He will take 'em out, or make them think so.

[MJY1288]

gore and Reno were in Clinton's administration for a reason. That reason was not to serve this nation, It was to serve Bill Clinton. As I have said many times. The biggest difference between this administration and the last... Is that Bill and Hillary Clinton chose a cabinet that would best serve them, (Example: Reno, Elders, McDoogle, Ron Brown, Vince Foster, Web hubble, and on & on & on) While George W. Bush chose a cabinet that would best serve this nation. People can criticize his politics all day, but there is no way anyone can doubt the ability of those he chose to head the most important and crucial positions in his cabinet.

[AmericanInTokyo]

You bet! Check this baby out for how the left in the US was hoodwinked, too! This if from the Federation of Atomic Scientists. It is even up on their website as we speak. Read it and chuckle (or weep, as the case may be):

"Pyongyang is cooperating with Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization, whose leading members are South Korea, the United States and Japan. KEDO has reached an agreement on the provision of the light-water nuclear reactors by 2003, and, in return, North Korea has frozen its nuclear program. South Korea, which has promised to bear the lion's share of the reactor project cost estimated at US$4.5 billion, is asking the United States to put up at least a symbolic amount. The US administration, however, has said it can make no contribution to the construction cost as Congress has not appropriated the necessary budget. An official in Seoul, however, said that South Korea cannot drop its demand simply because of domestic problems in the United States. The US Congress has been delaying approval of the cost for the reactor project. South Korean officials said the U.S. refusal to share the reactor cost would make it difficult for them to obtain approval from the National Assembly for the South Korean share. Since the conclusion of the Supply Agreement in December 1995, six related protocols have come into effect and three rounds of expert-level negotiations have produced solid results. The ROK power company, Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO), is the prime contractor for this project and has as its responsibility the design, manufacture, procurement, construction and management of the reactors. On 19 August 1997 KEDO and North Korea held a groundbreaking ceremony to begin construction of two light-water reactors?. North Korea, most of all, has kept its pledge to freeze all of its nuclear facilities, including nuclear reactors and a reprocessing plant. The United States and North Korea have already taken measures to ease their economic embargoes against each other in order to pave the way for future economic exchanges necessary for carrying out the nuclear reactor project. A more imminent issue for the three

[seeker41]

Thanks, your observations are interesting and will take me a while to digest.