North Korea - It's Official

[Tipsy]

If you haven't heard yet, today North Korea officially announced it has nuclear weapons. To make it even better they have announced they are pulling out of disarmament talks indefinitely.

Originally Posted by http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6944560

SEOUL, South Korea - North Korea announced for the first time Thursday it has nuclear weapons and rejected moves to restart disarmament talks anytime soon, saying the bombs are protection against an increasingly hostile United States.

The communist state’s statement dramatically raised the stakes in the 2-year-old nuclear confrontation and posed a grave challenge to President Bush, who started his second term with a vow to end North Korea’s nuclear program through six-nation talks.

“We ... have manufactured nukes for self-defense to cope with the Bush administration’s evermore undisguised policy to isolate and stifle the (North),” the North Korean Foreign Ministry said in a statement carried by the state-run Korean Central News Agency. The news agency used the colloquial term “nukes” in its English-language account.

The claim could not be independently verified. North Korea expelled the last U.N. nuclear monitors in late 2002. It is not known to have tested an atomic bomb, although international officials have long suspected it has one or two nuclear weapons.

The CIA has estimated that with a highly enriched uranium weapons program and the use of sophisticated high-speed centrifuges North Korea could be making more.

A U.S. official told NBC News' Robert Windrem on Thursday that U.S. intelligence would not dispute a reported estimate of six to eight nuclear weapons in North Korea's possession.

"That is generally within the range of estimates," the official said on condition of anonymity.

"But it is soft. It is between the low and high ends of intelligence estimates," the official said, noting that the Department of Energy has said North Korea could have as many as 10 or 12.

"What the North said today confirms what our intelligence has been for more than a decade," the official said.

However, the official declined to comment on whether North Korea has built missile warheads rather than just gravity bombs.

A recent Air Force analysis states that they are believed to have "fewer than 50" ballistic missiles capable of delivering a nuclear weapon and none of those have a range of more than 800 miles — capable of reaching anywhere in South Korea or Japan, but not the United States.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the North had no reason to believe the United States would attack.

“The North Koreans have been told by the president of the United States that the United States has no intention of attacking or invading North Korea,” Rice said in Luxembourg. “There is a path for the North Koreans that would put them in a more reasonable relationship with the rest of the world.”

Previously, North Korea told international negotiators in closed-door talks that it had nuclear weapons and might test one of them, South Korean officials say. The North’s U.N. envoy told reporters last year the country had “weaponized” plutonium from its pool of 8,000 nuclear spent fuel rods. Those rods contained enough plutonium for several bombs.

But Thursday’s statement was North Korea’s first public announcement that it has nuclear weapons.

North Korea said Thursday its “nuclear weapons will remain (a) nuclear deterrent for self-defense under any circumstances.”

It said Washington’s alleged attempt to topple the North’s regime “compels us to take a measure to bolster its nuclear weapons arsenal in order to protect the ideology, system, freedom and democracy chosen by its people.”

Since 2003, the United States, the two Koreas, China, Japan and Russia have held three rounds of talks in Beijing aimed at persuading the North to abandon nuclear weapons development in return for economic and diplomatic rewards. No significant progress has been made.

A fourth round scheduled for September 2004 was canceled when North Korea refused to attend, citing what it called a “hostile” U.S. policy.

“After its previous claims had failed to draw enough attention, North Korea now seeks to make people take it more seriously, create an atmosphere of crisis and make its negotiating partners pay more in order to persuade it to give up its nuclear capabilities,” a senior South Korean official said on condition of anonymity.

A U.S. official told NBC News' Andrea Mitchell that North Korea "must feel the U.S. is deeply engaged elsewhere in the world."

"They do feel there is a deterrent effect to these kinds of weapons," the official said on condition of anonymity.

However, North Korea runs the risk, through such a statement, of alienating countries in the region that have provided economic support.

Also, in "classic North Korean fashion," the official noted, they have "left the door open a crack to return to talks" by stating an indefinite suspension of participation.

International community urges resumption of talks
South Korea said Thursday the North’s decision to stay away from talks was “seriously regrettable,” and it repeated its previous estimate that Pyongyang has enough plutonium to build one or two nuclear bombs.

“We once again urge North Korea to rejoin the six-party talks without conditions so that it can discuss whatever differences it has with the United States and other participants,” South Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman Lee Kyu-hyung said. “We express our strong concern with the North Korean statement that it has nuclear weapons and we again declare our stance that we will never tolerate North Korea possessing nuclear weapons.”

In London, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan also urged North Korea to rejoin the talks, and he asked the other five nations to help.

“I expect that with efforts by the other countries involved, North Korea could be brought back to the table,” Annan said following talks with British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Foreign Secretary Jack Straw.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry criticized North Korea’s statement and strongly urged it to return to the negotiations.

North Korea’s move “can only cause regret,” the ministry said, adding that Moscow respects Pyongyang’s concern about its safety but believes “that the problem should be resolved through negotiations rather than arms race, especially nuclear arms race.”

The Chinese Foreign Ministry’s chief spokesman, Kong Quan, said in a statement on the ministry’s Web site that Beijing hopes the six-nation talks will continue.

“We consistently advocate the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula and the preservation of the peninsula’s peace and stability,” the statement said.

The British government said it was deeply concerned by the announcement by North Korea, also known as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

“It would be a major mistake for the DPRK were they to go down that route,” Straw said in a joint news conference with Annan.

And now for the question. What do you think should be done about this, if anything. The talks aren't working and now North Korea has left them, North Korea claims it is keeping the nuclear weapons for self-defense and they probably would be used if they were invaded.

[Bret]

I don't know why it has to be official.
This has been known for sometime now.

And of course talking doesn't resolve issues.
It never will against Communist nations.

What do I think We should do?
Not invade, although NK would sacrifice their own to rid of the invasion. (which would take care of them. lol) But I don't want to send troops on a suicide mission.

I would build up Our own arms.

Do you REALLY think those missles aren't pointed towards Us?
Do you REALLY think those missles are just going to sit there?

And when the day comes when they fire them @ us...what's going to happen?
I hope America wakes up and finally comprehends that not everyone wants to play House.
And if We don't fire back, well, then America has more problems than it has already.

[shimshimheyxD]

I totally sense WW3 is comming..

[Biske]

Figures. We got a stupid President, and Korea is all up there startin shit with another Cold War...yeah, I don't think this'll end pretty, considerin NK hates our guts. I'm surprised they haven't launched them already, if they indeed do have them.

[TrongaMonga]

Isn't that site the blognews new site? I mean, the one where average people go on and publish the new? If they have annouced it today, the site's mods might have not had the chance to remove it. However, if it is true, it is nothing more than obvious. Nothing will be done to them, for now, and a new cold war will start. But I doubt it will end as the last one, seeing that it is a smaller and much more well controlled than Russia.

Of course N. Korea will eventually go down, either by force or, hopefully, by diplomacy. Let's just hope this isn't true, or, if it is, they are not requiring anything else than living in their own corner. Which I doubt, considering they have the rich S. Korea in the neighbourood (sp).

[Ntrik_]

Originally Posted by TrongaMonga

Isn't that site the blognews new site? I mean, the one where average people go on and publish the new? If they have annouced it today, the site's mods might have not had the chance to remove it. However, if it is true, it is nothing more than obvious. Nothing will be done to them, for now, and a new cold war will start. But I doubt it will end as the last one, seeing that it is a smaller and much more well controlled than Russia.

Of course N. Korea will eventually go down, either by force or, hopefully, by diplomacy. Let's just hope this isn't true, or, if it is, they are not requiring anything else than living in their own corner. Which I doubt, considering they have the rich S. Korea in the neighbourood (sp).

It is true,

And I dont see (well not really) problems in that... I mean cmon, theres whole bunch of countries with Nuclear bombs....

[TrongaMonga]

The problem, Mike, is that N. Korea lied about not having nukes. They said they did not have. And they also cut the conversations. They want to keep them. And they aren't afraid to use them, since they are a small, unimportant country, with a good army and weaponry. Terrorist thinking.

My father said the USA and other countries gave them a warning not to use them. Something in the lines of an Ultimatum. That was the worse thing they could have done...

[RuneyPoo]

Neighborhood*** There ya go tronga.

Ok, now this is a really hard subject to talk about here. Alot of my friends and I have always talked about what is going to happen with N. Korea, and we all knew they are building Nuke's at the time. But if they are saying they are going to use them for only self defense? I highly doubt that, seriously.

Why would they begin building Nuclear Weapon's after Bush said we weren't planning against them in anyway? Yes, I don't blame them for being afraid after what happened in Iraq. The United States has become very aggresive since Bill Clinton left office. But look at this, six nations are telling them to back down on their Nuclear Weapon Testing, but yet they don't cooperate? It isn't just the U.S. telling them to shut it down. It is Russia, China, S. Korea, U.S., Japan, and I believe the UK? So why do they say that they are building them for self defense purposes against the United States? It's an excuse in my opinion, an excuse to just cause another un-needed war.

What I think we should do is get them to talk, if they deny to have an actually conversation with all six nations, give them a warning. Like it says there, S. Korea will not tolerate the north having Nuclear Weapons. Jesus christ.

Aim all our nuclear weapons at North Korea and warn them that if they even touch a button on one of those god damn things that they will no longer be on this planet anymore. Damn ****en right, exactly what I think about those N. Koreans.

[TrongaMonga]

Rune, there were conversations going on regarding it. They canceled them. So those countries warned them. That's a big mistake, a warning...

[Bret]

Thank God we have Bush as our president and not Kerry.

Kerry would sell our souls to NC. Any single slightest threat from NC, Kerry would pay them off.

Kind of like what Clinton did with our nuclear arms secrets to China.

[RuneyPoo]

Warning N. Korea is a big mistake? Since when? Yes, they don't care about their people or themselves, they are suicidal maniacs. But what is the mistake about warning them?

The first priority here is to unarm them before they do anything stupid, which they are bound to do. You think they are just going to sit there and say, "Oh we have nuclear weapons and are only going to use them for self defense." No, they are bound to use those Nuclear weapons to get any advantage over any country they can. If we don't unarm them or at least warn them to unarm themselves from they're nuclear weapons program, they will continue it and become way to extreme with these WMD.

[Ntrik_]

Originally Posted by Runexten

Neighborhood*** There ya go tronga.

Ok, now this is a really hard subject to talk about here. Alot of my friends and I have always talked about what is going to happen with N. Korea, and we all knew they are building Nuke's at the time. But if they are saying they are going to use them for only self defense? I highly doubt that, seriously.

Why would they begin building Nuclear Weapon's after Bush said we weren't planning against them in anyway? Yes, I don't blame them for being afraid after what happened in Iraq. The United States has become very aggresive since Bill Clinton left office. But look at this, six nations are telling them to back down on their Nuclear Weapon Testing, but yet they don't cooperate? It isn't just the U.S. telling them to shut it down. It is Russia, China, S. Korea, U.S., Japan, and I believe the UK? So why do they say that they are building them for self defense purposes against the United States? It's an excuse in my opinion, an excuse to just cause another un-needed war.

What I think we should do is get them to talk, if they deny to have an actually conversation with all six nations, give them a warning. Like it says there, S. Korea will not tolerate the north having Nuclear Weapons. Jesus christ.

Aim all our nuclear weapons at North Korea and warn them that if they even touch a button on one of those god damn things that they will no longer be on this planet anymore. Damn ****en right, exactly what I think about those N. Koreans.

Rune, U.S. or any other countries cant send Nukes to N.Korea, theres S.Korea right beneath, Japan, China, and Russia surrounding N.Korea,

and well Guess I need to read the news more often,

And I doubt they'll be using that nuke on any other countries unless they're in danger, I mean they just seem to want to be in that small corner of theirs.. just like what Tronga said

P.S.
And Tronga, you did spell Neighbourhood correctly, thats British or ORIGINAL English spelling for it I think, same goes for Colour, and more... pfft Americans :P

Edit

and that president in S.Korea who said "we will not produce any nuclear weapons" was a ****ing dumbass,

And rune, do you really think negotiating with N.Korea is going to work?

...

[RuneyPoo]

I was being sarcastic there N_, but anyways. N. Korea is way down, and to be honest with you a Nuclear Weapon bombing the biggest city of N. Korea would not reach S. Korea or any of the other countries. Nuclear Weapon's are powerful, but not that powerful. They are powerful enough for one Nuclear Weapon to clear out L.A. or NYC.

[Ntrik_]

Originally Posted by Runexten

I was being sarcastic there N_, but anyways. N. Korea is way down, and to be honest with you a Nuclear Weapon bombing the biggest city of N. Korea would not reach S. Korea or any of the other countries. Nuclear Weapon's are powerful, but not that powerful. They are powerful enough for one Nuclear Weapon to clear out L.A. or NYC.

Aye, but Im sure the effects will spread,

And Biggest city of N.Korea is pretty damn close to S.Korea, about 3 hours of driving without any traffics probly, hell, its like drinving from Toronto ~ Ottawa, except its bit shorter,

[johnpark1223]

that's a lot... anyyyywhoooohowwwwwww this is some serious stuff.... this is a threat YOz

[RuneyPoo]

Radiation Poisoning will not spread that far, you know how many Nuclear Weapon's it would take to have it spread into another country? Three or four, each bomb getting closer to the border of the country.

[Tipsy]

I read up a bit more on this. Appearantly, it is assumed that North Korea has 2 working nuclear weapons based off the last time inspectors were there. They have ICBM's that can reach Japan, China, Russia, etc and can destabolize that entire region. If we nuke North Korea, our nukes won't be spreading radiation to the south, their's will. Also, as for the how to disarm them, I don't really see any way. The talking was already tried, North Korea pulled out, if we attack them in any way they will retaliate with nuclear weapons at South Korea, China, Japan, or whoever they feel like attacking.

I don't see why North Korea trusts us any more than we trust them. Bush labeled them on the 'axis of evil', and it has got to be pretty nerve wrecking after you heard his Inaugural address.

Btw, you probably did hear about it because it was only announced earlier today, a few hours before I posted this.

Edit: About the talks, Rice has urged North Korea to resume, but they probably won't.

[CelestialBadger]

Originally Posted by MrBret

Kerry would sell our souls to NC. Any single slightest threat from NC, Kerry would pay them off.

...North Carolina?

By the way, what's the big deal here? Now that nukes have been developed they play an integral role in global stability. N.Korea with nukes is probably less of a threat than N.Korea without nukes.

[Ntrik_]

Originally Posted by Runexten

Radiation Poisoning will not spread that far, you know how many Nuclear Weapon's it would take to have it spread into another country? Three or four, each bomb getting closer to the border of the country.

Ok then, even if you are correct (which... ermm Im not sure about, Ive heard alot of things lol) would you feel safe knowing that there is Nuclear bomb explosion pretty close to where you live?

dont know about you, but pretty much everyone I know doesnt want that to happen.

[TrongaMonga]

Originally Posted by Runexten

Warning N. Korea is a big mistake? Since when? Yes, they don't care about their people or themselves, they are suicidal maniacs. But what is the mistake about warning them?

It's never a good idea to threat a kid with a big bomb. They might end up using it just to show they can and they are not afraid to use it.