October 9, 200619 yr http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/K/KOREAS_NUCLEAR?SITE=OHCIN&SECTION=AMERICAS&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT North Korea Says It Conducts Nuke Test By BURT HERMAN Associated Press Writer World Condemns North Korean Nuke Test SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- North Korea faced a barrage of global condemnation and calls for harsh sanctions Monday after it announced that it had set off an atomic weapon underground, a test that thrusts the secretive communist state into the elite club of nuclear-armed nations. A U.S. official says the U.N. Security Council has scheduled a 9:30 a.m. EDT meeting today on the test. And Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and President Bush agreed during a telephone call today that the U.N. Security Council must take "decisive action" against North Korea South Korea's geological institute estimated the force of the explosion to be equivalent to 550 tons of TNT, far smaller than the two nuclear bombs the U.S. dropped on Japan in World War II. But Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said it was far more powerful, equivalent to 5,000 to 15,000 tons of TNT. The head of South Korea's spy agency said the blast was equal to less than 1,000 tons of TNT, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported. National Intelligence Service chief Kim Seung-kyu also told lawmakers there were signs of suspicious movement at another suspected test site, Yonhap said. The U.S. Geological Survey said it recorded a magnitude-4.2 seismic event in northeastern North Korea. Asian neighbors also said they registered a seismic event, and an official of South Korea's monitoring center said the 3.6 magnitude tremor wasn't a natural occurrence. China, the North's closest ally and the impoverished nation's main source of food, expressed its "resolute opposition" to the reported test and urged the North to return to six-party nuclear disarmament talks. It said the North "defied the universal opposition of international society and flagrantly conducted the nuclear test." Anyone think China invades?
October 9, 200619 yr This is all a very high stakes game of poker. North Korea desperately needs economic assistance because their form of government is abysmal. The only card they have to play is to become a military threat with the hope that they'll be able to extort economic assistance from the US in return for disarming. The US doesn't like an unpredictable dictator like Kim to have nukes, they don't want to give in to his extortion but they hesitate to take aggressive action both because North Korea has the nukes and because China and Russia would not welcome US military action in their own back yard. China may want to take action both to pre-empt any US action and to ensure their preeminence in the area but they might also hesitate because of the nukes and also because they do carry on trade with North Korea.
October 9, 200619 yr Anyone think China invades? Here's my latest strategy theory. 1. South Korea, China, Tapei and US have secret talks 2. China and South Korea invade North Korea 3. South and North Korea reunify in exchange for reunification of China and Taiwan. 4. U.S. supplies intelligence and arms, but otherwise stays out of the frey.
October 9, 200619 yr Here's my latest strategy theory. 1. South Korea, China, Tapei and US have secret talks 2. China and South Korea invade North Korea 3. South and North Korea reunify in exchange for reunification of China and Taiwan. 4. U.S. supplies intelligence and arms, but otherwise stays out of the frey. Sounds like a win-win in my book.
October 9, 200619 yr Except for the Taiwanese. Sometimes you have to make a deal with the "devil" to combat the greater threat. We did it in WWII so it's not like our hands are totally bloodless anyway.
October 9, 200619 yr Here's my latest strategy theory. 1. South Korea, China, Tapei and US have secret talks 2. China and South Korea invade North Korea 3. South and North Korea reunify in exchange for reunification of China and Taiwan. 4. U.S. supplies intelligence and arms, but otherwise stays out of the frey. China will never invade North Korea. North Korea is the ginny pig for China. North Korea acts up and China watches for the worlds reaction. We might be better off arming Japan, once we convience them they are in danger, they may go for it.
October 9, 200619 yr China will never invade North Korea. North Korea is the ginny pig for China. North Korea acts up and China watches for the worlds reaction. We might be better off arming Japan, once we convience them they are in danger, they may go for it. Their seeming indifference to a rogue state with nuke just next door could well lend credence to your theory.
October 9, 200619 yr China will never invade North Korea. North Korea is the ginny pig for China. North Korea acts up and China watches for the worlds reaction. We might be better off arming Japan, once we convience them they are in danger, they may go for it. You haven't been keeping up with their relations. The PRC has been pretty ticked with North Korea and Kim Jong Il in particular. They're not too happy with the North Koreans having nukes either. If they could get Taiwan back, they'd gladly give up the headache on the peninsula.
October 9, 200619 yr Will Clinton be going on Fox again with Chris Wallace to rewrite his legacy relating to the North Korea's nuclear buildup? Throw in Jimmy Carter for good measure as well.
October 9, 200619 yr Will Clinton be going on Fox again with Chris Wallace to rewrite his legacy relating to the North Korea's nuclear buildup? Throw in Jimmy Carter for good measure as well. Hahahaha....was waiting for someone to turn the blame to Clinton....guess six years just wasn't enought to form a stratogy. I know this bunch in the Bush Admin are slow learners but give it a break. Your in trouble now because the republicans avoid responsibility.
October 9, 200619 yr Seriously, just how did North Korea get the materials for this? They had plutonium before Clinton, they just lied about how much. If Bush says the axes of evil is Iraq, Iran and North Korea and only NK was KNOWN to have nukes and a million man standing army, which would you say posed the most threat. Answer...the one without oil.
October 9, 200619 yr Will China and the UN continue to just slap NK on the hand. China probably, after all NK is not going to attack them. The UN needs to put up or shut up.
October 9, 200619 yr They had plutonium before Clinton, they just lied about how much. If Bush says the axes of evil is Iraq, Iran and North Korea and only NK was KNOWN to have nukes and a million man standing army, which would you say posed the most threat. Answer...the one without oil. In 92, NK kicked inspectors out. In 93 they were going to withdraw from the NPT unless they received the following: end to UN sanctions, one million pounds of grain, half million of fuel oil, and two light water reactors. Jimmy Carter went over and sweet talked them back to the negotiating table, in which 1994, Clinton bent over and grabbed his ankles...supplying NK with grain to a starving population that is still starving and never received the grain, and a 500,000 of fuel oil, and help with the construction of two light water reactors. In return NK would freeze all weapons ambitions. Thank you very much. Maddy Albright said Kim was "pragmatic and not hostile and that they cheated on teh framework." Well duh.
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