North Korea has a nuclear weapons program

[Alex Moon]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=s ... h_korea_14

North Korea admits to have a nuclear weapons program even though they signed agreements with the USA specifically prohibiting them from having one.

[Sea Skimmer]

Do you understand the difference between have a nuclear weaponsprogram and having a working weapon? The title of this indicates one where as the article indicates the other.

This indicates ignorance or stupidity on your part.

[GrandMasterTerwynn]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=s ... h_korea_14

North Korea admits to have a nuclear weapons program even though they signed agreements with the USA specifically prohibiting them from having one.

::Fwaps Alex.::

Damnit, you're as bad as many mainstream journalists! You put this interesting title up . . . and you don't really deliver!

[Alex Moon]

Do you understand the difference between have a nuclear weaponsprogram and having a working weapon? The title of this indicates one where as the article indicates the other.

This indicates ignorance or stupidity on your part.

My apologies.

It's getting late here and I typed off the post in a hurry. Plus this quote:

"We assess that North Korea has produced enough plutonium for at least one, and possibly two, nuclear weapons."

[Alex Moon]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=s ... h_korea_14

North Korea admits to have a nuclear weapons program even though they signed agreements with the USA specifically prohibiting them from having one.

::Fwaps Alex.::

Damnit, you're as bad as many mainstream journalists! You put this interesting title up . . . and you don't really deliver!

See my reply to Sea Skimmer.

It's late. Must have sleep.

[neoolong]

The title of the article is misleading but North Korea has still violated the agreement. They were not supposed to even develop nuclear weapons, and the article says that they had a development program and that North Korea admitted it. So they may not have nukes, but they are still in violation.

[Sea Skimmer]

Just thinking but. North Korea may have chosen to reveal this information because they through they where under risk of attack. Such a violation is a very big deal, and given current US policies it is very likely that if the US got solid proof, the North Korean labs would rapidly find them selves soaking up 2000 and 4000 pound penetrating bombs.

By revealing the information on their own they make such an attack much less likely. A secret program means Bush can simply dispatch a flight of B-2 bombers and be quite justified in doing so. An open project means he'll likely have to try a diplomatic route first.

[Master of Ossus]

This is kind of old news to everyone in the military and intelligence communities. North Korea has also been developing ballistic missiles and other weapons for some time. It was kind of assumed that they were also trying to develop nuclear weapons.

[Darth Wong]

The idea of keeping the lid on this Pandora's box is problematic at best. For example, Canada could make itself a nuclear power very easily (we have the technical skills, many nuclear reactors, etc). Any nation with a decent public education program can become nuclear-capable without too much difficulty. And honestly, now that Pakistan and India are both facing off with nukes in hand, how can it get much worse?

[Newtonian Fury]

Stopping nations from becoming nuclear powers? Let them! They should have the rights to defend themselves. Any sane leader would know that using nukes offensively would trigger lethal retaliation anyway.

On the same token, I believe chemical and biological weapons fall into the same category. I can't see how they are any worse than nukes. They are, in a sense, a poor nation's nuclear pile.

[Master of Ossus]

Stopping nations from becoming nuclear powers? Let them! They should have the rights to defend themselves. Any sane leader would know that using nukes offensively would trigger lethal retaliation anyway.

On the same token, I believe chemical and biological weapons fall into the same category. I can't see how they are any worse than nukes. They are, in a sense, a poor nation's nuclear pile.

The problem with allowing any country to develop WoMD is that many of these nations are also politically highly unstable, and they may lack the funds and ability to make their weapons stockpiles as safe as the ones that many Western nations enjoy. Further, smaller and less powerful nations are much more likely to lose control of their weapons, have a higher proportion of rebel groups, and are more likely to be willing to use such weapons, as their countries lack many of the carefully crafted political controls that many Western countries also enjoy.

Having said that, nuclear weapons are worse than almost all chemical and biological weapons.

[RayCav of ASVS]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=s ... h_korea_14

North Korea admits to have a nuclear weapons program even though they signed agreements with the USA specifically prohibiting them from having one.

I'm sorry to say this Moon but...where have you been? The moon?


Seriously, being of South Korean descent, I pay attention to stuff like this...at least the speculation that NK had a nuke program is almost common knowledge.

[Enlightenment]

The fact that NK has a nuclear program is neither new nor news. What is both new and news is the admission that they have broken their early 1990s agreement with the US to halt nuclear weapons development in exchange for foreign aid.

[Wicked Pilot]

Screw it, let's just invade. Sure the DPRK outnumbers the ROK and US forces in country, but we're just so much more badass. The North Korean population is oppressed and starving, they would almost certainly welcome the ROK in a war of unification. THIS would be a justifiable preemptive strike.

[Iceberg]

The whole reason NK's coming clean now is because they're fucking broke and they figure they can get foreign aid if they admit to having missiles.

[Enlightenment]

Screw it, let's just invade. Sure the DPRK outnumbers the ROK and US forces in country, but we're just so much more badass. The North Korean population is oppressed and starving, they would almost certainly welcome the ROK in a war of unification. THIS would be a justifiable preemptive strike.

Given the ongoing...issues...in Afghanistan and Shubby's obsession with taking out/taking over Iraq, taking on the DPRK now would be a colossal act of stupidity. Only a fscking idiot fights a war on three fronts if they have any other reasonable options available.

[XPViking]

Wicked Pilot,

Screw it, let's just invade. Sure the DPRK outnumbers the ROK and US forces in country, but we're just so much more badass. The North Korean population is oppressed and starving, they would almost certainly welcome the ROK in a war of unification. THIS would be a justifiable preemptive strike. - Wicked Pilot

So much more badass? It would be a bloodbath if the USA and South Korea tried to attack the North. Likewise, the same result would occur if the North tried to attack the South.

“Regardless of uncertainties about the military balance, however, there is little doubt that the conventional fire power deployed on the peninsula is more than enough to wreak havoc on the population and industrial capacity on it. If the Gulf War can indicate the level of a damage that can be wreaked by a second Korean war, a conventional war would incur more costs in terms of human, industrial and environmental destruction than a few nuclear weapons will. - Jae-Jung Suh”

Although you might think that the average North Korean would welcome US and South Korean liberators, keep in mind that North Koreans are a very different animal that the South Koreans. Years of indoctrination will do that.

“But despite the hardships, there was no sign of dissent. Whether this was because people were afraid to talk in front of us or because they genuinely believed they were living in a "people's paradise" was impossible to know. - The Guardian “

Some links for you.

http://www.focusweb.org/focus/pd/sec/SuhJaeJung.html

http://cgi.cnn.com/ASIANOW/asiaweek/mag ... y.map.html

http://www.guardian.co.uk/elsewhere/jou ... 59,00.html


Iceberg,

North Korea has been relying upon food donations for years. It's not a new thing.

Seriously, being of South Korean descent, I pay attention to stuff like this...at least the speculation that NK had a nuke program is almost common knowledge. - RavCAv

I'm not sure what you mean here. Being of South Korean descent automatically makes you pay attention to the new related to South Korea? What about the foreigners who are currently living here? Besides which, common knowledge to whom? The average South Korean walking down the street? I'll go ask some.

XPViking

[weemadando]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=s ... h_korea_14

North Korea admits to have a nuclear weapons program even though they signed agreements with the USA specifically prohibiting them from having one.

*thwap*

Well no shit sherlock.

[Alex Moon]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=s ... h_korea_14

North Korea admits to have a nuclear weapons program even though they signed agreements with the USA specifically prohibiting them from having one.

I'm sorry to say this Moon but...where have you been? The moon?


Seriously, being of South Korean descent, I pay attention to stuff like this...at least the speculation that NK had a nuke program is almost common knowledge.

It may have been common knowledge, but the fact that they are openly admitting it and brazenly announcing that they've thrown away the treaty they signed is what is interesting.

[Alex Moon]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=s ... h_korea_14

North Korea admits to have a nuclear weapons program even though they signed agreements with the USA specifically prohibiting them from having one.

*thwap*

Well no shit sherlock.

As I said before, its the fact that they're openly admitting it that's what is interesting. Remember, the Japanese had evidence that the PRNK was responsible for kidnapping Japanese citizens, and yet it is still a big deal when North Korea admitted it.

[XPViking]

Wonder how much face was lost in that announcement.

edit: isn't it the DPRK? Just a small nitpick.

XPViking

[phongn]

Wonder how much face was lost in that announcement.

edit: isn't it the DPRK? Just a small nitpick.

XPViking

Yes. Democratic People's Republic of Korea.