North Korea has 'bought nuclear bomb'

[dr. what]

North Korea has bought a complete nuclear weapon from either Pakistan or a former Soviet Union state, a South Korean newspaper has reported.

The newspaper Seoul Shinmun quoted an unnamed source as saying the United States was checking the intelligence.

North Korea is believed to have at least one or two nuclear weapons.

US Congressman Curt Weldon said after a visit to North Korea this month that its second ranked leader had told his delegation that it possessed nuclear weapons.

Pyongyang has previously declared that a nuclear reactor at Yongbyon, sealed under a 1994 agreement with the United States, has been restarted.

Spent nuclear fuel from that reactor could be converted to weapons-grade material.

North Korea has never officially declared that it possessed atomic weapons, speaking instead of its nuclear deterrent.

US experts who visited the Yongbyon facility said spent plutonium previously stored there had been removed.

North Korea is suspected of running a separate program based on uranium enrichment technology, assisted by a former top Pakistani nuclear scientist.
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linky

[Crown]

Yipee!


Stratigically, I felt that that was the correct response ....

[Tommy J]

North Korea has bought a complete nuclear weapon from either Pakistan or a former Soviet Union state, a South Korean newspaper has reported.

The newspaper Seoul Shinmun quoted an unnamed source as saying the United States was checking the intelligence.

North Korea is believed to have at least one or two nuclear weapons.

US Congressman Curt Weldon said after a visit to North Korea this month that its second ranked leader had told his delegation that it possessed nuclear weapons.

Pyongyang has previously declared that a nuclear reactor at Yongbyon, sealed under a 1994 agreement with the United States, has been restarted.

Spent nuclear fuel from that reactor could be converted to weapons-grade material.

North Korea has never officially declared that it possessed atomic weapons, speaking instead of its nuclear deterrent.

US experts who visited the Yongbyon facility said spent plutonium previously stored there had been removed.

North Korea is suspected of running a separate program based on uranium enrichment technology, assisted by a former top Pakistani nuclear scientist.
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linky

I just don't get this. Who exactly does North Korea believe they are detering by possession of such a weapon. With communism failing virtually everywhere world wide, with the collapse of the Soviet Union, with China increasingly becoming more capitalistic thus dependent on consumers everywhere else as well as their country, India and Pakistan only deter each other with their posession -- I DON'T GET IT.

The only logical reason (unless your planning a 1st strike which in itself isn't logical) to possess such a weapon is to deter aggression.

[Justforfun000]

I just don't get this. Who exactly does North Korea believe they are detering by possession of such a weapon. With communism failing virtually everywhere world wide, with the collapse of the Soviet Union, with China increasingly becoming more capitalistic thus dependent on consumers everywhere else as well as their country, India and Pakistan only deter each other with their posession -- I DON'T GET IT.

WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU KNOW YOU TURD LICKING....oops sorry. I got caught up in the lets pick on Tommy trend lately. lol

Seriously, the only "deterrence" they are thinking of, is the deterrence against provoking them in case they use these weapons. It's to safeguard against aggressive imperialist America.

To put it bluntly, it's an excuse to have a dangerous weapon they can threaten massive amounts of people with in order to get their own way on the world stage.

[Tommy J]

WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU KNOW YOU TURD LICKING....oops sorry. I got caught up in the lets pick on Tommy trend lately. lol

I fell off my chair that was funny!

Seriously, the only "deterrence" they are thinking of, is the deterrence against provoking them in case they use these weapons. It's to safeguard against aggressive imperialist America.

They already have the largest army in the world If I recall correctly. Why have a nuclear detterant against the US? Unless they've got billions of gallons of oil underneath their country (Iraq et all Middle East) any sane leader would realize that the US could care less about invading them. The only reason we were interested in the 1940's and 1950's was because of the fear of communist expansion and the influcence of the Soviet Union world-wide. That isn't reality toay. So the leadership in South Korea must be stupid or paranoid for no good reason.

That would be like Canada being worried that the US would invade and try to make her the 51st state. It's ridilicous.

To put it bluntly, it's an excuse to have a dangerous weapon they can threaten massive amounts of people with in order to get their own way on the world stage.

That's logical but to what ends? Who are they going to blackmail and to get what?

[LordShaithis]

That would be like Canada being worried that the US would invade and try to make her the 51st state. It's ridilicous.

All right, who told?!

[Lord Zentei]

They already have the largest army in the world If I recall correctly. Why have a nuclear detterant against the US? Unless they've got billions of gallons of oil underneath their country (Iraq et all Middle East) any sane leader would realize that the US could care less about invading them. The only reason we were interested in the 1940's and 1950's was because of the fear of communist expansion and the influcence of the Soviet Union world-wide. That isn't reality toay. So the leadership in South Korea must be stupid or paranoid for no good reason.

I have my doubts about the PRNK leadership being in touch with the item in bold. South Korea is not stupid.

[Master of Ossus]

They already have the largest army in the world If I recall correctly.

Ummm.... wtf? Their army is smaller than that of SOUTH Korea if you count reservists. In a conventional war, they would seriously mess up South Korea, but they would be crushed by any of the nearby powers.

Why have a nuclear detterant against the US? Unless they've got billions of gallons of oil underneath their country (Iraq et all Middle East) any sane leader would realize that the US could care less about invading them. The only reason we were interested in the 1940's and 1950's was because of the fear of communist expansion and the influcence of the Soviet Union world-wide. That isn't reality toay. So the leadership in South Korea must be stupid or paranoid for no good reason.

What are you talking about? South Korea isn't the one building a nuclear deterrant.

That would be like Canada being worried that the US would invade and try to make her the 51st state. It's ridilicous.

Don't be absurd. Many people on both sides of the Parallel want Korea to eventually reunify. Neither, however, wants to give up its form of government and economy in order to do so.

That's logical but to what ends? Who are they going to blackmail and to get what?

North Korea wants to reunify the Korean Penninsula under communism, and to that end it needs to first convince the US and Japan to stay out of any political or military action against the South. Meanwhile, it needs to increase its ability to put political and military pressure on the South (which has a vastly superior conventional military, BTW), and nuclear weapons suit both of those goals.

[Tommy J]

[quote="Master of Ossus']Ummm.... wtf? Their army is smaller than that of SOUTH Korea if you count reservists. In a conventional war, they would seriously mess up South Korea, but they would be crushed by any of the nearby powers.[/quote]

+http://www.ironsides.8m.com/army/kn.html

From the above
The Army

Over 90 percent of all KPA personnel in 1992--more than 1 million troops--were in the ground forces, the North Korean army. Ground forces in 1960 may have totalled fewer than 400,000 persons and probably did not rise much above that figure before 1972. The force expanded relentlessly over the next two decades; in 1992, there were approximately 1 million personnel. The size, organization, disposition, and combat capabilities of the army give P'yongyang military options both for offensive operations to reunify the peninsula and for credible defensive operations against any perceived threat from South Korea.

The army is largely an infantry force although a decade-long modernization program has significantly improved the mobility and firepower of its active forces. Between 1980 and 1992, North Korea reorganized, reequipped, and forward deployed the majority of its ground forces. The army places great emphasis on special operations and has one of the largest special operations forces in the world--tailored to meet the distinct requirements of Korean terrain.

A 1 million person Army is much larger I believe than South Korea

What are you talking about? South Korea isn't the one building a nuclear deterrant.

If you read what I was saying that's what I meant. Why would the North need such as a deterrant. Deterrant to what?

Don't be absurd. Many people on both sides of the Parallel want Korea to eventually reunify. Neither, however, wants to give up its form of government and economy in order to do so.

Never is going to happen so long as we man the DMZ

North Korea wants to reunify the Korean Penninsula under communism, and to that end it needs to first convince the US and Japan to stay out of any political or military action against the South. Meanwhile, it needs to increase its ability to put political and military pressure on the South (which has a vastly superior conventional military, BTW), and nuclear weapons suit both of those goals.

Unless they plan a Nuclear 1st Strike after an invasion causing a Nuclear War in Asia -- it's meaningless to have such a weapon. It's not deterring anything.

[Boyish-Tigerlilly]

How much money would it take to pay N. Korea to stop being an asshole?

[Beowulf]

How much money would it take to pay N. Korea to stop being an asshole?

$6 septillion dollars. Give or take a few orders of magnitude.

[Master of Ossus]

A 1 million person Army is much larger I believe than South Korea

1. The North Korean Army has shrunk since the heyday, and now numbers only about 750,000 troops with only 2,000 tanks.
2. The South Korean Army has well over 1 million troops, anyway.

If you read what I was saying that's what I meant. Why would the North need such as a deterrant. Deterrant to what?

To US and Japanese intervention, douche.

Never is going to happen so long as we man the DMZ

WHICH IS WHY THE FUCKING NORTH KOREANS WANT NUCLEAR WEAPONS, DOUCHEBAG.

Furthermore, the American presence in the Korean Penninsula is tiny compared to the millions of soldiers and tens of thousands of artillery pieces that the two sides field.

Unless they plan a Nuclear 1st Strike after an invasion causing a Nuclear War in Asia -- it's meaningless to have such a weapon. It's not deterring anything.

Umm... yes it is. If the North Koreans can pose a credible threat to an American West Coast city, they can pretty much tell the Americans not to get involved in a conflict with the South. That's the whole point.

I love the way that you instantly dismiss the conclusions that your own reasoning reaches.

[salm]

The newspaper Seoul Shinmun quoted an unnamed source

hmmmmmm....

[The_Last_Rebel]

Gotterdammerung[/list]

[Rogue 9]

Just like to point out that even if North Korea's army was larger than South Korea's, it is China that has the world's largest standing army.

[Fleet Admiral JD]

Just what we need! An unstable dictator who imprisons people for political beliefs with Nuclear Weapons. Hooray!

[Seggybop]

Why would North Korea buy an atomic bomb? I thought one of their main purposes in developing them was to put them up for sale...

[The_Last_Rebel]

I'd like to know how they got the money.

[phongn]

Why would North Korea buy an atomic bomb? I thought one of their main purposes in developing them was to put them up for sale...

Another reason would be deterrance against the US and her allies in Asia. They could threaten Tokyo if the US interfered in Korea War II, for example, and Japan won't have a missile defense system for awhile.

[Medic]

Just hope that Japan never gets insecure enough to the point that they become a nuclear power or at the very least flex their militaristic muscles. That will go down great in Asia....