NK just set off a nuke

[tangent4ronpaul]

It was twice as powerful as their last test.

-t

[Zippyjuan]

I thought the test was yesterday but they did confirm it today.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/13/world/asia/north-korea-nuclear-test.html?_r=0


WASHINGTON — North Korea confirmed on Tuesday that it had conducted its third, long-threatened nuclear test, provoking international rebukes, eliciting pledges of further punitive action from the United Nations Security Council and posing a new challenge for the Obama administration in its effort to keep the country from becoming a full-fledged nuclear power.

The official K.C.N.A. news service of North Korea said the country had used a “miniaturized and lighter nuclear device with greater explosive force than previously” and that the test “did not pose any negative impact on the surrounding ecological environment.”

Early Tuesday morning in Washington the office of the director of national intelligence, James R. Clapper Jr., issued a statement suggesting the North Koreans were, on their third try, beginning to produce nuclear devices with substantial explosive power. “The explosion yield was approximately several kilotons,” the announcement said, which was less specific than a South Korean Defense Ministry estimate of six to seven kilotons.

That would be far greater than the yield of less than one kiloton detected in the North’s 2006 test, but it is unclear how it would measure up to the last test, in 2009, which had an estimated yield of two to six kilotons. By comparison, the first bomb the United States dropped on Japan, which devastated Hiroshima in 1945, had an explosive yield of 15 kilotons.

The claim about miniaturizing the device could be important, if true. But there has been no proof yet that the North has yet mastered the difficult technology of making bombs small enough to be fitted to ballistic missiles that could eventually be lobbed as far as the United States mainland.

More at link.

[tasteless]

What matters is if they've successfully miniaturized it to fit onto a warhead.

[american.swan]

How many nukes did the Russians have pointing at NYC? Oh, btw, I live in Seoul.

Supposedly, this action by NKorea was provocative. How is self defence of a nation/regime, no matter how horrible, provocative? If I pick up a knife and put it calmly into my pocket for potential later use, was I provocative?

This is rediculous. I wonder how many actions by South Korea, UN, and the USA have provoked the North Korean regime.

How dare those North Koreans develop nuclear weapons!! How will we ever sell Windows 8 to them now? What is wrong with minding our own business which includes defense of course.

Why does the North Koreans develop nukes while South Korea relies on the bankrupt american nuclear submarines? Maybe the South Koreans should have their own defenses before the USA goes boom financially.

I find the whole event boring.

[Zippyjuan]

I would agree. I am not particularly worried about Iran wanting a nuke as well. Obviously we can't say for all states over all time, but in general countries with nuclear weapons tend not to fight each there (we may use proxies here and there but no full-blown wars). They are far more effective as a deterrant against being attacked (which is one reason Iran and North Korea want them). Best example is actually India and Pakistan. They had regular disputes and minor wars or skirmishes. Once they both went nuclear, the tensions and conflict between them greatly reduced- they made great effort to avoid it.

[sailingaway]

What matters is if they've successfully miniaturized it to fit onto a warhead.

This is North Korea not Japan.

I'm surprised they didn't blow themselves up, given their engineering efficiency with rockets.

[Zippyjuan]

Another consideration with NK is the time of year. Typically if they do something the international community considers "bad", they promise NK supplies like food and energy if they promise not to do it again. It is now the heart of winter- perhaps supplies are running low again.

[surf]

bfd
- on Iran as well
+rep for american.swan

[beaven]

Governments are evil. North Korea's is an especially good example of this, starving their people so they can build weapons to give cause to "need" to control people through military/police acts.

[Vanilluxe]

How many nukes did the Russians have pointing at NYC? Oh, btw, I live in Seoul.

Supposedly, this action by NKorea was provocative. How is self defence of a nation/regime, no matter how horrible, provocative? If I pick up a knife and put it calmly into my pocket for potential later use, was I provocative?

This is rediculous. I wonder how many actions by South Korea, UN, and the USA have provoked the North Korean regime.

How dare those North Koreans develop nuclear weapons!! How will we ever sell Windows 8 to them now? What is wrong with minding our own business which includes defense of course.

Why does the North Koreans develop nukes while South Korea relies on the bankrupt american nuclear submarines? Maybe the South Koreans should have their own defenses before the USA goes boom financially.

I find the whole event boring.

Do you know that North Koreans have thousands of heavy artillery pointing at Seoul and if conflict breaks, the city will flatten like paper.

[tangent4ronpaul]

How many nukes did the Russians have pointing at NYC? Oh, btw, I live in Seoul.

Supposedly, this action by NKorea was provocative. How is self defence of a nation/regime, no matter how horrible, provocative? If I pick up a knife and put it calmly into my pocket for potential later use, was I provocative?

This is rediculous. I wonder how many actions by South Korea, UN, and the USA have provoked the North Korean regime.

How dare those North Koreans develop nuclear weapons!! How will we ever sell Windows 8 to them now? What is wrong with minding our own business which includes defense of course.

Why does the North Koreans develop nukes while South Korea relies on the bankrupt american nuclear submarines? Maybe the South Koreans should have their own defenses before the USA goes boom financially.

I find the whole event boring.


I would agree. I am not particularly worried about Iran wanting a nuke as well. Obviously we can't say for all states over all time, but in general countries with nuclear weapons tend not to fight each there (we may use proxies here and there but no full-blown wars). They are far more effective as a deterrant against being attacked (which is one reason Iran and North Korea want them). Best example is actually India and Pakistan. They had regular disputes and minor wars or skirmishes. Once they both went nuclear, the tensions and conflict between them greatly reduced- they made great effort to avoid it.

Of course it's provocative! Youre talking about a handful of hold out states that don't have central banks and if they can get away with it and thrive, their neighbors might start thinking the same... :rolleyes:

-t

[alucard13mmfmj]

if they can miniturize it and fire it from artillery... seoul is screwed.

[QuickZ06]

Add it to the list.....


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_W_lLhBt8Vg

[RickyJ]

How many nukes did the Russians have pointing at NYC? Oh, btw, I live in Seoul.

Supposedly, this action by NKorea was provocative. How is self defence of a nation/regime, no matter how horrible, provocative? If I pick up a knife and put it calmly into my pocket for potential later use, was I provocative?

This is rediculous. I wonder how many actions by South Korea, UN, and the USA have provoked the North Korean regime.

How dare those North Koreans develop nuclear weapons!! How will we ever sell Windows 8 to them now? What is wrong with minding our own business which includes defense of course.

Why does the North Koreans develop nukes while South Korea relies on the bankrupt american nuclear submarines? Maybe the South Koreans should have their own defenses before the USA goes boom financially.

I find the whole event boring.

Thanks for the laugh. :D

[tangent4ronpaul]

Add it to the list.....


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_W_lLhBt8Vg

2053 - WOW!
and the count stopped in 1998...

-t

[RickyJ]

if they can miniturize it and fire it from artillery... seoul is screwed.

Why would they do that though? It would ensure their own destruction and they would be screwed too. I see these weapons for purely defensive reasons, not offensive. I may be wrong, but unless they are total nuts they aren't going to use them offensively.

[GunnyFreedom]

Why would they do that though? It would ensure their own destruction and they would be screwed too. I see these weapons for purely defensive reasons, not offensive. I may be wrong, but unless they are total nuts they aren't going to use them offensively.

emph added

Before you say anything, I am not an interventionist.

but,

how much do you know about North Korea, really?

ETA - because if the government of any country on Earth qualifies as 'nuts...'

[Danke]

2053 - WOW!
and the count stopped in 1998...

-t

Israel?

[GunnyFreedom]

Israel?

They got their pre-engineered and didn't need testing.