The North Korean nuclear test
I'm not going to call it the 'Democratic People's Republic of Korea', as every word in that name, bar 'Korea' is a lie.
Anyway, as you will all have seen, Kim Jong Il's kleptocracy has tested a bomb. Much by way of condemnation from all sides, but this piece from Huntingdon in 'The Clash of Civilizations' in '97 is intriguing:
“South Korea, on the other hand, viewed the bomb in relation to its regional interests. Many South Koreans saw a North Korean bomb as a Korean bomb, one which would never be used against other Koreans but could be used to defend Korean independence and interests against Japan and other potential threats. South Korean civilian officials and military officers explicitly looked forward to a united Korea having that capability. South Korean interests were well served: North Korea would suffer the expense and international obloquy of developing the bomb; South Korea would eventually inherit it; the combination of northern nuclear weapons and southern industrial prowess would enable a unified Korea to assume its appropriate role as a major actor on the East Asian scene. As a result, marked differences existed in the extent to which Washington saw a major crisis existing on the Korean peninsula in 1994 and the absence of any significant sense of crisis in Seoul, creating a "panic gap" between the two capitals. One of the "oddities of the North Korean nuclear standoff, from its start several years ago," one journalist observed at the height the "crisis" in June 1994, "is that the sense of crisis increases the farther one is from Korea.”
While the South Koreans are not keen, their reaction is less than bellicose:
"South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun says his country's response to an apparent nuclear test by communist North Korea will be "stern but fair."...South Korean authorities have responded by halting emergency flood aid destined for the impoverished North. In addition, Seoul raised the alert status for its military forces. After meeting with visiting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, President Roh said the apparent nuclear test will "seriously affect" South Korean policy. Describing it as both "a warning and a prediction," Mr. Roh says it is now very difficult for Seoul to pursue or justify its policy of engagement with North Korea". (source).
Hmm.
Anyway, as you will all have seen, Kim Jong Il's kleptocracy has tested a bomb. Much by way of condemnation from all sides, but this piece from Huntingdon in 'The Clash of Civilizations' in '97 is intriguing:
“South Korea, on the other hand, viewed the bomb in relation to its regional interests. Many South Koreans saw a North Korean bomb as a Korean bomb, one which would never be used against other Koreans but could be used to defend Korean independence and interests against Japan and other potential threats. South Korean civilian officials and military officers explicitly looked forward to a united Korea having that capability. South Korean interests were well served: North Korea would suffer the expense and international obloquy of developing the bomb; South Korea would eventually inherit it; the combination of northern nuclear weapons and southern industrial prowess would enable a unified Korea to assume its appropriate role as a major actor on the East Asian scene. As a result, marked differences existed in the extent to which Washington saw a major crisis existing on the Korean peninsula in 1994 and the absence of any significant sense of crisis in Seoul, creating a "panic gap" between the two capitals. One of the "oddities of the North Korean nuclear standoff, from its start several years ago," one journalist observed at the height the "crisis" in June 1994, "is that the sense of crisis increases the farther one is from Korea.”
While the South Koreans are not keen, their reaction is less than bellicose:
"South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun says his country's response to an apparent nuclear test by communist North Korea will be "stern but fair."...South Korean authorities have responded by halting emergency flood aid destined for the impoverished North. In addition, Seoul raised the alert status for its military forces. After meeting with visiting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, President Roh said the apparent nuclear test will "seriously affect" South Korean policy. Describing it as both "a warning and a prediction," Mr. Roh says it is now very difficult for Seoul to pursue or justify its policy of engagement with North Korea". (source).
Hmm.
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on Monday, October 09, 2006 at 1:08 pm.
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Croydonian writes: "While the South Koreans are not keen, their reaction is less than bellicose:"
If someone had developed and detonated a nuclear devise in Wales, how bellicose would you be?
I suppose it would depend on what I thought the Cambrians intended to do with it... I felt it was worth throwing that quote in, as I haven't seen that idea discussed elsewhere.
I wonder how many other countries are doing this, is NKorea alone? Do we test our nuclear weapons?
Wheres the proof?
surely somebody would have detected it?
PS
Verity i sincerely wish somebody would detonate a nuclear device in Wales , preferably when sian Lloyd was at home.
Ellee,
I dug this up at the usual place:
"In 1963, all nuclear and many non-nuclear states signed the Limited Test Ban Treaty, pledging to refrain from testing nuclear weapons in the atmosphere, underwater, or in outer space. The treaty permitted underground tests. France continued atmospheric testing until 1974, while China continued up until 1980. The last underground test by the United States was in 1992, the Soviet Union in 1990, the United Kingdom in 1991, and both France and China continued testing up until 1996. After adopting the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty in 1996, all of these states have pledged to discontinue all nuclear testing. Non-signatories India and Pakistan both last tested nuclear weapons in 1998. The most recent nuclear test has been by North Korea in October 2006".
Peter,
I found this: WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. officials said on Monday they believed North Korea had conducted a "provocative" underground nuclear test, an event that would present a significant new election-year challenge to President George W. Bush.
An intelligence source said a preliminary examination of the data did not indicate a large blast, or a series of explosions, but stressed that analysts were still working on a definitive evaluation.
Ellee, the UK currently has around 200 nuclear warheads and has conducted approx. 45 tests since 1952. The last nuclear test was as Mr. Croydonian pointed out conducted in November 1991.
Who is Sian Lloyd?
She is a TV weather forecaster, and significant other of LibDem MP Lembit Opik. She is noted for having a mouth wider than the Blairina's and not being troubled by false modesty.
Thankfully the US are in a position to do nothing with all their commitments elsewhere. The old startegy was let them get on with their mad policies as sooner or later the regime will fall apart.
This changes nothing, except maybe the chinese will be less encouraged to supply them with free oil and hasten the end of the regime.
DIgnore all the US posturing at the moment, the Republican's are desperately playing to retain their Sante and House seats on 2nd Nov. and this national security threat is a nice sideline for them to get out the vote.
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