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[NYT]North Korea Claims to Conduct 2nd Nuclear Test

Discussion in 'BBS Hangout: Debate & Discussion' started by Ottomaton, May 24, 2009.

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  1. Ottomaton

    Ottomaton Member
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    [rquoter]
    North Korea Claims to Conduct 2nd Nuclear Test

    SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea announced on Monday it had successfully conducted its second nuclear test, defying international warnings and drastically raising the stakes in a global effort to get the recalcitrant Communist state to give up its nuclear weapons program.

    The North’s official news agency, KCNA, said the country had conducted an “underground” nuclear test.

    The announcement came moments after the South Korean government’s geological sensors had detected an artificially triggered tremor emanating from Kilju, northeast North Korea, said Lee Dong-kwan, spokesman of the office of President Lee Myung-bak of South Korea.

    The spokesman said “intelligence officials of South Korea and the United States are analyzing the data and closely monitoring the situation.”

    Word of the nuclear test sent a shudder through Asian financial markets, with Korea’s stock index plunging four percentage points within minutes.

    North Korea conducted its first nuclear test on Oct. 9, 2006, and it had given some advance notice of its intention to test a device. That initial test also was in the northeast.

    North Korea recently threatened to conduct a second nuclear test, citing what it called Washington’s “hostilities” against the isolated Communist regime.

    The test came against a backdrop of heightened tensions between North Korea and the United States, which keeps a heavy military deployment in South Korea.

    Two American journalists are scheduled to be tried June 4 in North Korea, charged with illegal entry into the North and “hostile acts.” That case in particular has aggravated tensions between Pyongyang and Washington, which were already strained after the North launched a long-range rocket on April 5.

    After that launching, Washington pressed the United Nations Security Council to tighten sanctions on the North. In retaliation, Pyongyang expelled United Nations nuclear monitors, while threatening to restart a plant that makes weapons-grade plutonium and to conduct a nuclear test.

    This month, one day after an American diplomat offered new talks on North Korea’s nuclear program, the North said it had become useless to talk further with the United States.

    “The study of the policy pursued by the Obama administration for the past 100 days since its emergence made it clear that the U.S. hostile policy toward the D.P.R.K. remains unchanged,” the North Korean Foreign Ministry said, using the initials for the country’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

    In comments carried by KCNA, the ministry said: “There is nothing to be gained by sitting down together with a party that continues to view us with hostility.”

    The rebuff came as Stephen W. Bosworth, the American special envoy on North Korea, began a trip to Asia with a fresh offer of dialogue. The North’s vow to “bolster its nuclear deterrent” came just hours before Mr. Bosworth was due to arrive in Seoul.

    [/rquoter]
     
    #1 Ottomaton, May 24, 2009
  2. El_Conquistador

    El_Conquistador King of the D&D, The Legend, #1 Ranking

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    Oh boy, not a good situation for our craptastic novice of a President. I thought he was going to smooth over relations with all of our enemies? That's what his Sheeple were led to believe! Guess not.
     
    #2 El_Conquistador, May 24, 2009
  3. yo

    yo Member

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    This is real, folks.
     
    #3 yo, May 24, 2009
  4. El_Conquistador

    El_Conquistador King of the D&D, The Legend, #1 Ranking

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    You botched this, btw.
     
    #4 El_Conquistador, May 24, 2009
  5. ROXRAN

    ROXRAN Member

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    Just imagine if the U.S. kills millions of Koreans in retaliation towards it's government's enamor with WMD,...not good, huh?

    Well the Koreans allowed millions to starve to death in the late 1990's, so what do they care?
     
    #5 ROXRAN, May 25, 2009
  6. brantonli24

    brantonli24 Member

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    I somehow have a feeling that no matter who was President, be it Paul, McCain, Obama, North Korea would've steamrollered ahead and had nuclear tests anyway.
     
    #6 brantonli24, May 25, 2009
  7. logicx

    logicx Member

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    In all fairness to President Obama (who I don't love all that much), he hasn't had any time to work his "magic" with N. Korea.

    However, N. Korea has an agenda, and I'm not sure "talking nice" is gonna get it done with them. I just hope whatever evil they're brewing can be contained there and not spread.

    That's always the fear, that it can spread...
     
    #7 logicx, May 25, 2009
    1 person likes this.
  8. pgabriel

    pgabriel Educated Negro

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    i'm sure it took n korea longer than obama's short time in office to develop nukes
     
    #8 pgabriel, May 25, 2009
  9. A_3PO

    A_3PO Member

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    Very doubtful they have an agenda. Kim Jong Il is gravely ill, which is why the 6-party talks are done. Until a new leader takes over and consolidates power to feel secure enough to negotiate, expect more events like this. The longer Kim hangs on, the more North Korea will spin around like a chicken with it's head cut off.

    This has nothing to do with who is president of the United States. The sooner Kim dies, the sooner a new leader will emerge and (possibly) open the door to some sort of long-term resolution. This crackpot, flaky, irrational regime will be impossible to gauge until then.

    Some will call for sanctions, but all that will do is make more people suffer and starve with their borders. This is a tough case, MUCH harder than Iran.
     
    #9 A_3PO, May 25, 2009
  10. Luckyazn

    Luckyazn Member

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    Why dont we just .......[​IMG]



    North Korea seems to be able to do whatever they want to do. So just Fk it!
     
    #10 Luckyazn, May 25, 2009
  11. Hicklander

    Hicklander Member

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    My question is what would it hurt to send 50 cruise missles to strategic military and government installations? They gonna attack south korea? well keep sending cruise missles.. Their military involves alota men with machine guns and little else .. I think we can handle that..
     
    #11 Hicklander, May 25, 2009
  12. SamFisher

    SamFisher Member

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    what would it help? Nothing. What would it hurt? A lot.
     
    #12 SamFisher, May 25, 2009
  13. KingCheetah

    KingCheetah Atomic Playboy
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    Well they certainly have developed state of the art delivery systems (cargo ships) that could handle the massive (in lab) nuclear bomb they semi-detonated last year -- less than kiloton total yield.

    At this point all we can do is panic.
     
    #13 KingCheetah, May 25, 2009
  14. BetterThanEver

    BetterThanEver Member

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    McCain would have declared war after the 1st test.
     
    #14 BetterThanEver, May 25, 2009
  15. rocketsjudoka

    rocketsjudoka Member

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    Seoul, the capital of one our major trading partners, is within range of NK artillery. They also have missiles that could easily hit Japan. In a time of a global recession an all out war with NK would be devestating to the global economy. Also the PRC might not sit idly by if we lob cruise missiles at NK especially considering many of NK's military facilities aren't that far from the PRC border.
     
    #15 rocketsjudoka, May 25, 2009
  16. rocketsjudoka

    rocketsjudoka Member

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    I agree with this assessment.

    At the moment there isn't much we can do to the NK regime and we may just have to tolerate them until Kim Jong Il joins his dad. From what little I know of NK it sounds like the military while they are paranoid aren't crazy and realize that an actual war would destroy them. Hopefully once Kim Jong Il kicks it there will be more pragmatic leadership.
     
    #16 rocketsjudoka, May 25, 2009
  17. SamFisher

    SamFisher Member

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    Honestly who cares? NK demonstrates that they once again have some rudimentary form of nuclear technology - what does that change? nothing. they're still a dysfunctional hermit state that they were yesterday. It's like a toddler throwing a tantrum & craving attention as they previously were.
     
    #17 SamFisher, May 25, 2009
  18. rocketsjudoka

    rocketsjudoka Member

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    The biggest worry with NK isn't that they would actually use it on SK, Japan, or US but weapons technology has been one of their big exports and the more desperate they become economically I wouldn't put it beyond them to sell nuke technology.
     
    #18 rocketsjudoka, May 25, 2009
  19. Hicklander

    Hicklander Member

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    So your saying we couldn't take out all the artillery and missiles systems with a preemptive strike? These aren't the most technological advanced people in the world ya know
     
    #19 Hicklander, May 25, 2009
  20. rocketsjudoka

    rocketsjudoka Member

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    They have a lot of artillery already prepositioned to strike Seoul along with, suspected, tunnels and infiltrator groups ready. Many of their artillery, missiles and other facilities are hardened and our intel isn't that great about their locations. Its very doubtful that we could take out all or even most of their offensive weaponry in a first strike before they take out Seoul.
     
    #20 rocketsjudoka, May 25, 2009
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