Well! N Korea's done it.

R

RichardC

I was wondering why the all ords fell down the lift well:

N Korea conducts first nuclear test: reports
The North Korean news agency KCNA says its country has successfully conducted an underground nuclear test.

"Our science research section has safely and successfully conducted an underground nuclear test on October, 9," it said.

It added that there was no leak or danger from the test.

There are no more details at this stage.

The South Korean News Agency Yonhap is also carrying reports that Pyongyang may have carried out the test.

Neither US intelligence sources nor South Korean defence officials can confirm at this stage that a test has taken place.

South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun is reported to have called an emergency meeting to discuss the North Korean nuclear issue.

"The meeting comes as there has been a grave change in the situation involving the North's nuclear activity," the agency quoted foreign ministry spokesman Choo Kyu-Ho as saying.

He refused to go into further detail.

But another ranking foreign ministry official quoted by Yonhap confirmed that the government received intelligence that North Korea appeared to have already carried out a nuclear test.

"The government is trying to check the intelligence," the official said, asking not to be named.

"We are not in a position to confirm such a report,' a South Korean defence ministry spokesman told AFP.

- AFP/Reuters
 
so did they really do it, or just set off a lot of explosive down a mine shaft?

n korea has a long history of sabre rattling to get noticed - then the west throws aid money at them to stop their stirring and all are happy until n korea wants some more money, so rattles again ... and so they cycle goes.
 
Merovingian said:
I still think the US are more of a threat to the world than North Korea.
Click to expand...

I think we all know a lot more about the US than we do about North Korea, and that may be our problem.
To me, I prefer the devil I think I know, rather than the one I know I don't.
Bill
 
Other than there being a huge uproar over the use of nuclear testing (& the potential impact on the Earth & the environment), how was the testing done by France a while ago taken?

I don't remember the focus being so much on 'hostility'. IMO either condemn all (for the same reasons!) or give all the benefit of the doubt. Better the Devil you know, sure.. but still.

Of course, I'm ultra anti-nuclear, so don't have a balanced view on any of this, in the slightest.
 
Pitt St said:
We're sitting on 40% of the world's uranium.

Imagine if we ever got nasty. :eek:

M
Click to expand...
Personally I would like to see Australia get the bomb.

Then we would be able to stand up to states that sponsor and harbour terrorists, states that thumb their nose at the view of the world community and continue their nuclear ambitions and testing despite international condemnation. States like France.

North Korea becoming a serious threat to the globe is about as likely as Alexander Downer becoming a member of Mensa.

If China's interests are ever seriously threatened then I imagine their tanks could be in Pyongyang faster than a group of seagulls on a hot chip. I guess the scariest thing little Kim has ever done was annoy the Chinese, it's just not a very smart move on his part to be doing that, it's probably the one recent action that makes me believe he really is a pin short of a strike, the NK leadership have every motivation in the world to be doing what they are doing otherwise.

** edit... Hey... scooped for the France reference by K_0 :)
I'm referring to the Rainbow Warrior: re the terry wrist mention.
 
Nuclear Weapons

I think the world is making a fuss about N Korea for the following three (3) reasons:

(1) Breaking the International Treaties on Nuclear Technology. For example, Comprehensitve Test Ban Treaty(CTBT) which was signed in the 1960s amd Nuclear non-Proliferation Treaty(NPT). This was why India and Pakistan was condemned after their nuclear experiments in 1998. Under CTBT only countries (6 countries- US, UK, China, France, Russia and can't remember) that had Nuclear technology prior to 1964 was allowed to experiment it, and that is why the world did not condemn French nuclear experiments in the Pacific Ocean in the 90s. They are allowed under international law.

(2) Environmental Impact: there are more experts who can ellaborate better. But I think people can imagine the impact from the after effects of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, let alone ecological effects.

(3) Control : There is a question of control- I mean, compared to the United States where specific procedures are implemented to control store, manage etc the nuclear weapons, we do not know what kind of protocol N Korea has. If not managed properly we could see another Chenobyl in N Korea because of lack of money to keep it safe.

But having the nuclear technology to make bombs is not going to be a threat to other countries apart from neighbouring countries unless it has missles to carry the damn thing. Does it have Intercontinental Missiles that could fly over 10,000Km or 20,000Km? They might have but we do not know.

Theoretically, if our world was perfect and nobody made any mistakes (for safety reasons), I would also want Australia to own Nuclear Weapons and be on equal footing with everybody else in the world.
 
i would rather nobody owned nuclear weapons.

we need to spread thoughts of pro-peace around the world. don't be anti-war, anti-nuclear or anti-terrorist as the universe then focuses on the war, nuclear and terrorist part.

always be pro - not anti.
 
i always thought this was not true, and still do.
why is it that no-one can confirm it as true?
hellloooooo its 2006 and no one can say for sure whether a nuclear freaking bomb was detonated ?????
reckon the old north koreans are kicking back having a good old chuckle at the supposed intelligent western world.

have a look at this article.
on the one hand it says it was an earthquake, then in almost the same sentence people like downer just up and run with it as a definate nuclear test.
im very sceptical.

remember how we were all assured by the western world that iraq had 'weapons of mass destruction'.!!

N Korea sanctions a 'declaration of war'Reuters, AFP
October 11, 2006
A NORTH Korean official said today that any full-scale sanctions imposed to punish Pyongyang for its nuclear test would be a "declaration of war".

"If any full-scale sanctions are imposed, we will regard them as a declaration of war," the unidentified official in Beijing told South Korea's Yonhap news agency.

He said such full-scale sanctions would include a sea blockade.

"The harder the pressure will be, the stronger will be the level of our response," the official was quoted as saying.

Earlier, the US Geological Survey said it had detected a 5.8 magnitude earthquake off the coast off northern Japan and a US official said the tremor appeared to be the source of speculation that North Korea had tested another nuclear device.

The USGS said the quake at 9.58am Japan time (0958 AEST), was about 320km northeast of Tokyo, off the northeast coast of Japan's main island of Honshu, at a depth of 30km.

The earthquake appears to have triggered speculation that North Korea held a second nuclear test, which neither Japan nor the US could confirm.

A senior Bush administration official, responding to a reporter's query about a possible second nuclear weapons test in North Korea, said it was a false report.

"I've just been told it was a false alarm, an earthquake," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

North Korea announced it had conducted an underground nuclear test on Monday triggering global condemnation. The possibility of a second North Korean nuclear test was first aired by Japanese national broadcaster NHK.

Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said earlier this morning that the federal Government had grave concerns North Korea would conduct another nuclear test.

Mr Downer said: "We have very real concerns that they may conduct another nuclear test and that they may do so very soon."

Australia has condemned the rogue state's first test this week, and yesterday hauled in North Korea's ambassador to voice its displeasure.

Mr Downer summoned ambassador Chon Jae Hong to Parliament House, telling him Australia would support United Nations sanctions against the Stalinist state.

The nuclear weapons test has prompted government backbenchers to call for Australia to forget any plans to change its nuclear supply policy amid fears that more countries in the region will develop weapons.
 
Historically, and almost without exception, every country in the world that can defend itself has not been invaded successfully.

France was ravaged by many wars over the millenia and that is the primary reason why France now has the bomb.

The question is, is North Korea's claimed acquisition of a nuclear bomb a deterrent to prevent, in their eyes, a possible USA attack?

cava
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top