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North Korea Admits to Having Nuclear Weapons
steelvadi writes "North Korea has now admitted to possessing nuclear weapons. Government officials there claimed that they are needed as defense from an increasingly hostile attitude from Washington. It was also stated that N. Korea will not be reentering negotiations on disarmament for the foreseeable future. "
Korea continued it's nuclear weapons program during that whole time. There were no checks on what they were doing and by the time anyone realized what was really going on, they were well on their way. NK started freaking out once someone called 'em on it.
This isn't some instantaneous thing that happened. If creating nuclear weapons were that easy for them, it would have happened a long time ago.
Nuclear tests are now conducted underground. Above ground testing was banned by the UN decades ago and any country who has nuclear weapons has always tested them below ground. The exception being Israel who was testing its nuclear weapons with South Africa when sanctions were on South Africa for its apartheid policies.
No known large-scale tests were evidenced but there is some evidence to support small tests as seismic data indicated unusual earthquake-like motion.
As far as seismic data is concerned with North Korea, since they gave their info to Pakistan, who successfully set off at least one nuclear device, it would be reasonable to assume that North Korea knows its design will work.
Here are some links which show the before and after photos of Pakistans underground nuclear tests:
Link 1
Link 2
This link has a very nice and detailed story, with pics, about Indias nuclear tests as does this link.
In the case of Indias tests, there were some clouds thrown up but nothing near like one is used to seeing from the nuclear tests the U.S. performed in the Nevada desert.
We will bankrupt ourselves in the vain search for absolute security. -- Dwight D. Eisenhower
For a better albeit incomplete analysis of the rest, like the "help", see here. For a timeline, see this.
Sustainability and energy independence essay
I think you have the chronology backwards there. The Bush cutoffs took place after North Korea violated their treaty obligations. (It was because they restarted plutonium production, wasn't it?)
But, you're right -- the current nukes (if they exist, which I'd doubt) wouldn't have been made with the light water reactors.
What I'm listening to now on Pandora...
"Both Colin Powell, US Secretary of State, and Condoleezza Rice, President Bush's closest adviser, made clear before September 11 2001 that Saddam Hussein was no threat - to America, Europe or the Middle East."
7 04nothreat.htm
http://www.prisonplanet.com/articles/july2004/100
In short, the Clinton deal engaged North Korea and would have worked to stop or slow their weapons programs. Bush stopped the Clinton deal's funding and changed to a hard-line approach, and now we see ourselves in the present situation
You make it sound like the North Koreans built nuclear weapons by accident. Like, "Well shoot, we can't build light water ractors to generate power anymore...we might as well start a nuclear weapons program!"
Giving them light water reactors would have resulted in them having both light and heavy water reactors, and more technology that could be turned around and used against us. In a society as closed and tighly controlled as North Korea, it's foolish to think that we can 'inspect' anything, and that means we'd just have to take thier word for it that they're not producing nuclear weapons.
U-238??? I think not. Might want some U-235, or Plutonium, perhaps. MIght even be able to do it with Thorium. But not U-238.
Also, the neutron source is optional. When you add a neutron source, you're allowing for a smaller critical mass of fissionables.
"I do not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it"
Not really true. The deal struck by Albright in 2000 was that the NK nuclear weapon program would be shut down and the US would build a nuclear power generating station. Then the US welched on the deal and did not build a plant (under direction from the new administration in the White House; Bush. They also took a much more hardline stance on NK. So the North Koreans resumed their actions.
If you look at history, I think this would be topped only by Hitler.
t toman Empire(Armenian Genocide)=2x10^6
If you look at history, you sound confused.
20th Century Civilians Killed:
Stalin=4x10^7
Mao=3.5x10^7
Hitler=1.2x10^7
O
Pol Pot=1x10^6
Saddam=6x10^5
Hutu-Tutsi Rivalry=5x10^5
As you can see, Hitler's not even close to first, and Saddam is way down at the bottom. Educate yourself on history. It's the only antidote to propaganda.
Sources:
this article
khmer rouge
Saddam
"The danger is not that a particular class is unfit to govern. Every class is unfit to govern." - Lord Acton
But there is surely a "terror premium" in today's crude prices; most folks estimate it at $5-10. OTOH, you could call it a "no spare capacity" premium just as accurately. Global pries are high, and will likely remain high, because demand is growing faster than supply. Small disruptions thus have a disproportionate effect on prices.
But that's not why gas prices are high here in the US. That has much more to do with lack of refinery capacity and price-fixing. Did you notice how gas prices rose dramatically last spring, when crude prices were stable; and actually fell a bit in the fall (run-up to the election) when crude prices were spiking? There's a disconnect because relatively little of the pump price is actually the cost of crude. Other factors are much more important.