Japan Confirms Activity at N. Korea Nuclear Site

[icymist]

Japan has confirmed vehicle activity at a North Korean nuclear testing site, but it was unclear whether tests were imminent, wire news services reported yesterday.

Vehicles have been seen entering and leaving a nuclear testing site in the northeast of the country, the Associated Press quoted a Kyodo news agency as reporting.

<snip>
But he said Seoul sees a nuclear test only as a possibility for now. ``At the current stage, it looks to be a matter of possibility,¡¯¡¯ he said during a weekly press briefing. ``We are consulting with related countries on the North's move, while keeping a close eye on it.''

News reports last week quoted U.S. officials as saying there was activity at a possible nuclear site in the North suggesting that preparations for a nuclear weapons test were underway.

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North Korea stands by attack threat
23 August 2006

SEOUL: North Korea said it had the right to launch a pre-emptive attack to counter a US-South Korean joint military training drill, its official media reported on Tuesday.


US and South Korean troops began military exercises on Monday, dubbed Ulchi Focus Lens, that are aimed at testing command structures and communications.

The annual exercises have been held without incident since they began in 1975 and the North usually brands them as a prelude to invasion and nuclear war.

But the drills this year are being held with tensions high on the peninsula after North Korea test-fired a barrage of missiles on July 5 and reports last week it may preparing to test a nuclear weapon.

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N Korea watching U.S., Japan
"We will keenly watch the moves of the United States and its followers including Japan to stifle the DPRK with sharp vigilance and do our utmost to bolster our self-defensive war deterrent, unhindered by anything, tightly holding the revolutionary banner of Songun, thus adding shine to the ever-victorious history of the Korean revolution covering centuries," he was quoted as saying.
What a quote!

[Deja Q]

1. More goading.

Even the US, with its talk of preemptive attacking, has never considered using nukes.

[notadmblnd]

2. no time to worry about N. Korea now.... that's the 3rd axel of the

"AXIS OF EVIL". We're still working on the second one.:sarcasm:

[Alacrat]

3. Lil' Kim is getting jealous

With Jon Bonet Ramsey, "foiled" terra plots, 911 and Katrina anniversary's approaching, and hez and ham going at it with Israel, he hasn't gotten any press lately. I believe if we gave him a reality show on MTV, he would be happy, and no threat to anyone. Seriously though, I hope he isn't planning a pre emptive strike, nuclear or conventional. We would be in an all out war with them, resulting 100s of thousands of lives lost, or more, it would also give bush an "I told you so boost", the draft would come back in an instant, with little argument, for that matter we wouldn't have a choice, we don't have the troops to fight all these wars. What I really fear is, Kim getting close to dying and wanting to go out with a bang, IMO he is too vain to commit suicide by starting a war, but if he were on his way out, I could see him doing it. The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have cost the U.S. relatively few lives, when you compare them to the lives lost in other wars. A war with NK, unless it was nuclear, would cost so many lives, and one is one to many.I have a confession, I used to be in favor of the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, I voted Repug, now we have a baby, he has made me see the world in an entirely different light. I pray for all the sons and daughters fighting abroad, I pray for the families that have lost children in these wars. I thought at one time the wars were justified, I have learned different, that is why I became a Democrat, and joined DU. This is one of the few places you can find the truth, with people actively fighting for peace, not war. I am scared when I think of what kind of world my son will grow up in, and feel ashamed that I didn't think of others children the same way when I voted for the dip shit for pres. I ask everyone to forgive me. I also promise to do all I can to change things, if we all work together, walk the walk, and not just talk the talk, we can win this nation back, I really belive that.

[notadmblnd]

4. I think it would be devastating for *bush

if N. Korea did something. For the last 5 years, people have been pointing out the administrations lack of diplomatic action regarding N. Korea. They've always been a much bigger threat than any country in the Middle East. but this administration acts like this threat doesn't exist. Tells ya something don't it?

[Alacrat]

5. Yes it does

The jump would come from his core, and the segment of the population who start singing the star spangled banner, when the bombs start falling. Why do people become so patriotic when we bomb another country, regardless of the reason. We could bomb Canada tomorrow, and there would be plenty of people wearing the red white and blue, saying support the troops, but never ask the question why?

[notadmblnd]

6. no, no.. thats where I think you're wrong.

People are pissed now. All the republican have done is instill fear and use terror.. terror.. terror as their way to control the people, all the while saying that they are the only ones that can keep the american people safe. In fact, they seem to like pointing out that their facists policies are what have kept us safe from another 911 thus far. People are pissed, gas prices, the economy, jobs, the war. If something happens now, they will have failed to keep us safe once again. No, I don't think it would be good for him.

[Alacrat]

7. I really hope you are right

I hope people would see that. I still have a fear of NK starting something, or bush starting something with them. A war with NK would be a lot different than the ME wars. We wouldn't have an open desert, where the majority of the enemy is out in the open for us to bomb at will. Both ground wars in Iraq were relatively easy, the occupation after the initial ground war is another story. NK has far greater military capabilities than anyone we have faced since WW2(not counting the first time we were at war with them). We would be in a long ground war, with an incredibly high casualty rate. Who knows what goes on in Kim's head. We may not be safe even with bush out of office, at least with a democratic president there would be a shot at diplomacy, and we would know war was an absolute last resort.

[icymist]

8. I only post these news about NK to keep track of them.

And because their leader is crazy. If the US ever decided to go through North Korea, I believe we'll do just that.... go through North Korea. Not that I don't respect the NK soilder or their status in the last war we fought them... just that I don't think China will be there for them as they have in the past.

[notadmblnd]

9. the one thing I keep in my head about N. Korea is that

they have no natural resources that our government is interested in controlling. I think that is why this admin has ignored them. I think if they had petro or water to go after, then N. Korea would become an issue. I believe you're right when you say N. Korea would be a different war.

I know that the meme on the problems coming from the middle east is terrorism, but personally, I think that is just a cover, I believe this is a war to gain control of the worlds natural resources. This admin thinks that in order to secure the US future, that we must beat Russia and China in gaining that control. These people don't necessarily want the oil, they just want control of the flow of it. And I do think water is going to be our next big issue.