| Author | Message | ||
     Ferris_von_bueller |
Guardian.co.uk North Korea tests nuclear weapon 'as powerful as Hiroshima bomb' North Korea today risked further international isolation after it claimed to have successfully tested a nuclear weapon as powerful as the atomic bomb that destroyed Hiroshima. The test comes less than two months after the North enraged the US and its allies by test firing a long-range ballistic missile. The KNCA news agency, the regime's official mouthpiece, said: "We have successfully conducted another nuclear test on 25 May as part of the republic's measures to strengthen its nuclear deterrent." Officials in South Korea said they had detected a tremor consistent with those caused by an underground nuclear explosion. The country's Yonhap news agency reported that the North had test fired three short-range missiles immediately after the nuclear test from a base on the east coast. The underground atomic explosion, at 9.54am local time, created an earthquake measuring magnitude 4.5 in Kilju county in the country's north-east, reports said. President Barack Obama called the test a matter of grave concern to all countries. "North Korea is directly and recklessly challenging the international community," Obama said in a statement. "North Korea's behaviour increases tensions and undermines stability in north-east Asia." The UN security council will hold an emergency meeting in New York later today to discuss its response to the latest escalation in the crisis. Obama and other leaders did not offer details on the council's possible response. China, North Korea's key ally, said it was "resolutely opposed" to the test, urging its neighbour to avoid actions that would sharpen tensions and return to six-party arms-for-disarmament talks. Japan, which considers itself high on the North's potential hit list, said it would seek a new resolution condemning the test. Russian defence experts estimated the explosion's yield at between 10 and 20 kilotons, many times more than the 1 kiloton measured in its first nuclear test in 2006 and about as powerful as the bombs the US used against Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of the second world war. One kiloton is equal to the force produced by 1,000 tons of TNT. The force of the blast made the ground tremble in the Chinese border city of Yanji, 130 miles away. The North Korean news agency said the test had been "safely conducted on a new higher level in terms of its explosive power and technology of its control. The test will contribute to defending the sovereignty of the country and the nation and socialism and ensuring peace and security on the Korean peninsula and the region." Gordon Brown described the test as "erroneous, misguided and a danger to the world". The prime minister added: "This act will undermine prospects for peace on the Korean peninsula and will do nothing for North Korea's security. South Korea and Japan condemned the test, North Korea's second since it exploded its first nuclear device in October 2006 in defiance of international opinion. That test prompted the UN security to pass a resolution banning Pyongyang from activities related to its ballistic missile programme. The South Korean president, Lee Myung-bak, convened a session of the country's security council after seismologists reported earthquakes in the Kilju region, site of the North's first nuclear test. In Tokyo, Japan's chief cabinet secretary, Takeo Kawamura, said the test was "a clear violation of the UN security council resolution and cannot be tolerated". North Korea had warned of a second nuclear test after the UN condemned its test-launch of a ballistic missile on 5 April and agreed to tighten sanctions put in place in 2006. Pyongyang insisted it had put a peaceful communications satellite in orbit, but experts said the technology and methods were identical to those used to launch a long-range Taepodong-2 missile. After the UN refused to apologise for condemning the launch, North Korea expelled international inspectors, threatened to restart its Yongbyon nuclear reactor – which it had agreed to start dismantling in 2007 – and walked away from six-party nuclear talks. Today's test will add to fears that the North is moving closer to possessing the ability to mount a nuclear warhead on long-range missiles that are capable, in theory, of reaching Hawaii and Alaska. "This test, if confirmed, could indicate North Korea's decision to work at securing actual nuclear capabilities," Koh Yu-hwan, a professor at Dongkuk University in Seoul, told Reuters. "North Korea had been expecting the new US administration to mark a shift from the previous administration's stance, but is realising that there are no changes. It may have decided that a second test was necessary. [It] seems to be reacting to the US and South Korean administrations' policies." Analysts believe the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-il, hopes to use the test to shore up support from the military amid mounting speculation that he is about to name one of his three sons as his successor. Kim, 67, appears to be re-establishing his grip on power since reportedly suffering a stroke last August. Today's test is a direct challenge to attempts by Obama to engage the North and stem the spread of nuclear weapons. Despite promising a fresh start to bilateral relations, Obama, who denounced last month's missile launch as "a provocation," has so far failed to persuade North Korean to enter into negotiations. Kim Myong-chol, executive director of the Centre for Korean-American Peace in Tokyo, who is close to Pyongyang, said the test was a reminder that North Korea "is going it alone as a nuclear power". "North Korea doesn't need any talks with America. America is tricky and undesirable," he said. "It does not implement its own agreements. "We are not going to worry about sanctions. If they sanction us, we will become more powerful. Sanctions never help America; they are counter-productive … We don't care about America and what they say." | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
But we asked them pretty please not to continue development. | ||
| Teeps |
You can bet President Obama will give them a warm and fuzzy talking to about how they should not continue down this road... | ||
| 2008xb12scg |
I don't know if in this day and age you can keep anybody from nuclear power. | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
Someone call team America!   | ||
| Doughnut |
I don't know if in this day and age you can keep anybody from nuclear power. WHAT! The new Buell will be NuclearDrive? | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
Having a nuclear program is one thing. Maintaining a nuclear program is another. The ONLY way that N Korea can afford to have and maintain a nuclear program is to export nuclear technology to countries without nuclear programs but desiring them. The only nations that currently don't have nuclear programs that can afford to pay to import them from N Korea are nations with oil revenues. These are not the friendliest to the US. Much of Iran's technology came from N. Korea. Russia is/was in the same boat. Much of what N. Korea and Iran have came originally from Russia. Then again, some of what N. Korea has came from the US. Thanks Bill. That worked out well. | ||
| Corporatemonkey |
Russia is/was in the same boat. Much of what N. Korea and Iran have came originally from Russia. The N.Korea stuff doesn't concern me for exactly that reason. Anyone who wanted to buy a nuke probably already bought one from Russia after the wall fell. A lot of their stuff has gone missing. At this point if it happens it happens. At least I don't live a duck and cover lifestyle stressing about it. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
Thank you Pollyanna. | ||
| Buellinachinashop |
I just watched a news segment on Russia and its Nukes. Seems as though all they're disarmed weapons are'nt accounted for. Yup...they lost they're own weapons. Hmm...I wonder where those will show up?? (Message edited by BuellinaChinashop on May 26, 2009) | ||
| Crusty |
The Sky Is Falling! The Sky Is Falling! | ||
| Ferris_von_bueller |
I see dead people. | ||
| Pkforbes87 |
If they try anything, maybe we could do something other than training missions at work?    Nah, probably better that they knock it off and we all just keep flying training missions.   | ||
| 2008xb12scg |
Now that would be an awesome patch to have! | ||
| Ferris_von_bueller |
DEFCON ONE, please It appears the Russians are a tad concerned http://in.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idINIndia- 39913120090527 | ||
| Ferris_von_bueller |
Pyongyang isn't afraid of any repercussions for its actions, a North Korean newspaper, the Minju Joson, said Wednesday. "It is a laughable delusion for the United States to think that it can get us to kneel with sanctions," it said in an editorial. "We've been living under U.S. sanctions for decades, but have firmly safeguarded our ideology and system while moving our achievements forward. The U.S. sanctions policy toward North Korea is like striking a rock with a rotten egg." I couldnt have said it better myself. It's amusing when our enemies are more in touch with our failed policies and threats then our our citizens. | ||
| Aesquire |
N Korea is a hard nut to crack. Christopher Hitchens has been there. Look at his reporting. When the tiny tin god & expert golfer ( 6 holes in one his first game! ) dies, someone will seize power. But who? one of many children? A General? How much fighting for power? So after decades of badly kept cease fire ( no peace treaty exists, it's still in cease fire mode, and that was violated multiple times by Kim ) we have a rich industrialized nation on the border of a starving dictatorship that makes "1984" look mild. If you are not in the Army or Govt. you don't eat. On the other side of Hell-On-Earth is China, who would look poorly on a functioning democracy next door. Too close for an infection of freedom. So they might be ok with Kim nuking Seoul & taking S. Korea as his domain, but a peaceful consolidation is not on. If we aided S. Korea to win, ( not easy, it's a HUGE Army to fight ) China would surely invade to prevent victory. I doubt they would leave, either, & I suspect the only reason that China has not, is they don't want the grief of dealing with a country that screwed up, ( makes Tibet, a former religious dictatorship with 3 goats & a sherpa stand, look like Boston in comparison ) Yet China has issues with N.Korean refugees, both racist ones, ( I can't even count the wars ) and practical. The N. Korean refugees are so stunted from malnutrition they are notably shorter than the Chinese they live among & even shorter compared to the S. Koreans. Any attempt to stop Kim from doing whatever he wants would involve either massive casualties on both sides or a near genocidal approach of mass nuclear death. Heck, the only light you can see from orbit is Kim's night light. ( the capital ) So, yeah, our policies don't work. No politician wants to catch the blame for the war that is waiting to resume. part of the problem is when lefty/touchy feely/bleeding heart types get in power, make deals with a dictator that does not keep his word, ( even the ICBM launch into the Pacific this last month was touted as a successful peaceful satellite launch that is "even now broadcasting Korean patriot music to the world" ) and hope to be out of office by the time the sh^t hits the fan. Then, when the next admin calls them on breaking treaty, it's "an act of war" and the crap starts all over. So it's really just a matter of time before some city gets nuked. Sooner or later after that a few million innocent N. Koreans get the atomic stir fry in return, all because we didn't finish the job in my Fathers day, and wouldn't do it since. It all boils down to Communist China supporting a dictator to the detriment of all mankind. How about we quit buying & selling anything to China? Barack would have to give up his 11 Trillion dollar budget, and maybe sell the banks & car companies he bought, since he's financed ( as our we, suckers! ) by China, but it's the only thing I can think of that doesn't involve genocide. | ||
| Benm2 |
Aesquire, I couldn't have phrased that better myself. I feel like a jerk for waiting for the bomb to drop, but there will be no support for flattening this wasp until after it has put one in someone's eye. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
Don't forget that the Korean war was the last great conflict run by the UN. So far, they don't have a successful exercise under their belt. Makes one wonder why ceding more autonomy and sovereignty to the UN is such a wise course of action. | ||
| J2blue |
And I say that is why we need good covert ops run by a spooky acronym that isn't in the news all the time. Orchestrate the invasion of North Korea by Zimbabwe because Kim insulted the royal family. Isn't it amazing how advanced the former government of South America was before Zimbabwe bought all their weapons at auction? It doesn't really have to make sense, does it? | ||
| Ferris_von_bueller |
So they might be ok with Kim nuking Seoul & taking S. Korea as his domain Don't believe for a second there aren't nukes in SOUTH Korea. On the other side of Hell-On-Earth is China, who would look poorly on a functioning democracy next door Ever been to Hong Kong? | ||
| Just_ziptab |
"So it's really just a matter of time before some city gets nuked."Now that is scary.....real scary. | ||
| Ourdee |
It was rumored that Iran picked up 2 nukes in the first 2 years after the wall fell. | ||
| Aesquire |
Don't believe for a second there aren't nukes in SOUTH Korea. I can neither confirm, nor deny...... I doubt S. Korea has a program to build them. I seriously doubt we gave them any, since giving control over such things is unnatural to politicians. Ever been to Hong Kong? No, I'm too big a loud mouth to visit countries where they jail you for complaining about the government. I have my fears about Canada's hate commissions, and The U.S. of B.O. may turn nasty as well. Is Hong Kong so free a functioning democracy since the lease ran out? China did see the wisdom of not killing the goose that laid the golden eggs off instantly, and there is some geographic separation from the mainland. Korea has a river. | ||
| Fast1075 |
My AVC teacher (when I was in high school) was a retired Bird Colonel that served in Korea...a very squared away, articulate, and intelligent man that projected authority whenever he walked into a room. His take on the whole Korea/China thing was simple. In his words, the area should either be a U.S. possession, or an uninhabitable vast field of glass. | ||
| Cityxslicker |
ooooh the Russians are going to invade N Korea?! Maybe the military needs an old Russian linguist back  I have bonus money that I need to spend on my expanding bike collection. | ||
| Aesquire |
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&si d=aGjZayXyqTxc&refer=worldwide ...Defense Secretary Robert Gates limited the number of interceptors that will be placed in the ground to 30 from 44 in April as part of an overhaul of defense programs. Gates said 30 is an adequate number to handle a North Korean threat Gee, thanks for telling N.Korea they need to make 31 missiles. While spending more than anyone, ever, this admin. is cutting military spending, and is going to gut any missile defense system. That's so deja-vu. |
