North Korea now a nuclear power?

[jingofever]

According to North Korea via AP:<br><br><!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- North Korea said Monday it has performed its first-ever nuclear weapons test. The country's official Korean Central News Agency said the test was performed successfully and there was no radioactive leakage from the site.<br><br>"The nuclear test is a historic event that brought happiness to the our military and people," KCNA said.<br><br>South Korea's Yonhap news agency said the test was conducted at 10:36 a.m. (9:36 p.m. EDT Sunday) in Hwaderi near Kilju city, citing defense officials.<br><br>© 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.<hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END--><br><br>No word yet on what direct evidence confirms the test.<br><br><!--EZCODE LINK START--><a href="http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/K/KOREAS_NUCLEAR?SITE=PASUN&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT#">the link</a><!--EZCODE LINK END--> <p></p><i></i>

[anotherdrew]

<!--EZCODE FONT START--><span style="font-size:large;">Kil-ju city?</span><!--EZCODE FONT END--> wtf.?.<br><br>well, this sucks <p></p><i></i>

[Hugh Manatee Wins]

<!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>"The nuclear test is a historic event that brought happiness to the our military and people,"<hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END--><br><br>As Oppenheimer said, "I am become the bringer of happiness."<br><br><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK START--><a href="http://www.quotessource.com/quote/J-Robert-Oppenheimer-I-am-becom">www.quotessource.com/quot...I-am-becom</a><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK END--> <p></p><i></i>

[4911]

All your happiness are belong to us <p></p><i></i>

[sunny]

Ah, geez. This could not have come at a worse time. I guess there never is a good time for a show of nuclear force, though eh? But with the Bushies backs against the wall, this is a god-send to them. Ominous warnings about Dems' weakness on defense, no horse-changing at this critical juncture, blah blah blah. The screeching will be unbearable.<br><br>And all of it so they get out the base and the election theft won't be so obvious. <p></p><i></i>

[Joe Hillshoist]

The aust'n news just mentioned that USGS seismic records confirmed the test. <p></p><i></i>

[Fearless]

...<br><br>Donald Rumsfeld, the US defence secretary, sat on the board of a company which three years ago sold two light water nuclear reactors to North Korea - a country he now regards as part of the "axis of evil" and which has been targeted for regime change by Washington because of its efforts to build nuclear weapons. <br><br>Mr Rumsfeld was a non-executive director of ABB, a European engineering giant based in Zurich, when it won a $200m (£125m) contract to provide the design and key components for the reactors. The current defence secretary sat on the board from 1990 to 2001, earning $190,000 a year. He left to join the Bush administration. <br><br>The reactor deal was part of President Bill Clinton's policy of persuading the North Korean regime to positively engage with the west. <br><br>The sale of the nuclear technology was a high-profile contract. ABB's then chief executive, Goran Lindahl, visited North Korea in November 1999 to announce ABB's "wide-ranging, long-term cooperation agreement" with the communist government. <br><br>The company also opened an office in the country's capital, Pyongyang, and the deal was signed a year later in 2000. Despite this, Mr Rumsfeld's office said that the de fence secretary did not "recall it being brought before the board at any time". <br><br>In a statement to the American magazine Newsweek, his spokeswoman Victoria Clarke said that there "was no vote on this". A spokesman for ABB told the Guardian yesterday that "board members were informed about the project which would deliver systems and equipment for light water reactors". <br><br>Just months after Mr Rumsfeld took office, President George Bush ended the policy of engagement and negotiation pursued by Mr Clinton, saying he did not trust North Korea, and pulled the plug on diplomacy. Pyongyang warned that it would respond by building nuclear missiles. A review of American policy was announced and the bilateral confidence building steps, key to Mr Clinton's policy of detente, halted. <br><br><br>...<br><br><!--EZCODE LINK START--><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/korea/article/0,2763,952289,00.html" target="top">Link</a><!--EZCODE LINK END--> <p></p><i></i>

[erosoplier]

I don't really like it myself, but obviously God intended for each nation to have its very own nuclear arsenal. Can't fight God's plan, I guess.<br><br>Here's a North Korean perspective:<br><br> <!--EZCODE AUTOLINK START--><a href="http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Korea/HJ06Dg01.html">www.atimes.com/atimes/Kor...6Dg01.html</a><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK END--><br><br><br>(via The Truth Will Set You Free Blogspot <!--EZCODE AUTOLINK START--><a href="http://wakeupfromyourslumber.blogspot.com/)">wakeupfromyourslumber.blogspot.com/)</a><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK END--> <p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://p216.ezboard.com/brigorousintuition.showUserPublicProfile?gid=erosoplier>erosoplier</A> at: 10/9/06 10:41 am<br></i>