Quote:
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Originally Posted by Ustwo
People, people.
We have an UNCONFIRMED report.
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Ok...for the
third time, in a little under one week, I've been in the tenuous position of agreeing with Ustwo. How disturbing, indeed, to find him the voice of reason.
Quote:
Associated Press
Although North Korea is believed to be developing nuclear weapons, international experts would likely have been able to detect the test if one had occurred several days ago.
"We understand that a mushroom-shaped cloud about 3.5- to 4-kilometer (2.2 miles to 2.5 miles) in diameter was monitored during the explosion," the source in Seoul told Yonhap. Yonhap described the source as "reliable."
Thursday was the anniversary of North Korea's founding on Sept. 9, 1948. Leader Kim Jong Il uses the occasion to stage performances and other events to bolster loyalty among the impoverished North Korean population.
Experts have speculated that North Korea might use a major anniversary to conduct a nuclear-related test, but one analyst said an open test, as opposed to one below ground, would be hard in such a small country.
"It's difficult to say, but it won't be easy for North Korea to conduct a nuclear test without resulting in massive losses of its own people," said Koh Yu-hwan, a North Korea expert in Seoul. "I think there is a more possibility that it is a simple accident, rather than a deliberate nuclear test."
Yonhap's diplomatic source in Seoul said the explosion took place "not far" from a military base that holds ballistic missiles. North Korea, which has a large missile arsenal and more than a million soldiers, is dotted with military installations.
The damage and crater left by the explosion in Kim Hyong Jik county was big enough to be noticed by a satellite, a source in Beijing told Yonhap.
After a National Security Council meeting, South Korea's Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said the government was trying to confirm the report about the explosion. Asked about the possibility of a nuclear test, he said:
"I believe some foreign media made such reports. However, currently, we believe that it is not related to such reports
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Ustwo
oh and ...
Despite the little issue of China, I'm sure if we invaded N.K. Instead of Iraq the same people would be saying 'What about Saddam Hussain!'
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Thank you, Ustwo, for restoring a little ballance into my world.
You were beginning to scare me there for awhile.
