Pyongyang again disobeyed international efforts to rein in the recalcitrant regime by conducting its third nuclear test. North Korea announced it successfully conducted a test of a “miniaturized and lighter nuclear device with greater explosive force than previously.” Coupled with its successful launch of a long-range missile in December 2012, Pyongyang has achieved another breakthrough in its decades-long quest to threaten the United States with nuclear weapons.
The nuclear test comes less than a month after the United Nations again demanded North Korea “comply fully with its obligations [to] abandon all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs” and not conduct any further nuclear tests. Chinese resistance prevented more meaningful punishment for North Korea’s missile launch, though the U.N. meekly “expresse[d] its determination to take significant action in the event of a further DPRK launch or nuclear test.”
Details of the nuclear test remain unknown, but seismic detection agencies confirmed “the event shows clear explosion-like characteristics and its location is roughly congruent with the 2006 and 2009 DPRK nuclear tests.” The detected 4.9 magnitude of the test is larger than North Korea’s two previous nuclear tests. The South Korean Ministry of Defense preliminarily concluded the test may have been 6 to 7 kilotons, larger than the 2006 and 2009 tests, which were 1 kiloton and 4 kilotons, respectively.
It is yet unknown whether the test used plutonium (as in previous tests), uranium, or boosted plutonium (thermonuclear). A uranium test would show that Pyongyang has achieved a second path to nuclear weapons program, while a boosted plutonium weapon could provide significantly greater explosive yields or an expanded nuclear arsenal, since less plutonium is required per weapon.
What is clear is that North Korea has again defied the U.N. Security Council as well as recent efforts by China to prevent its troublesome neighbor from ratcheting up tension on the Korean Peninsula. Kim Jong-un has shown himself to be no less belligerent and dangerous than his predecessors. Kim is also clearly willing to risk incoming South Korean President Park Geun-hye’s nascent efforts to re-engage North Korea, just as Kim Jong-il rejected President Obama’s similar attempts in 2009.
Read More at heritage.org . By Bruce Klingner.
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The UN is worthless. It’s dominated by the tyrants of the world (which is why Obama like it so much – he feels right at home – birds of a feather flock together).
Sanctions do nothing. The madmen in charge have no hesitation to starve and brutalize their people to keep resourcing their quest for weapons and power.
Iran and North Korea are in bed on this.
They are at, of VERY close to, the point where they could launch an EMP attack on the US, and there’s little we could do to defend against it.
When will people start to understand that politics is corrupt and can’t solve a single problem?
Possessing a nuke is the name of the game.
Why was Korea divided, in the first place ? Illegal military activity of the USA ?
Why should N. Korea not have a nuke? Why should S. Korea not have a nuke ? Why should Iran not have a nuke? What nations have N.Korea, S.Korea and Iran attacked? Israel has over 230 nukes, has denied it, refuses to permit inspection by the IEC, and meanwhile is destroying Palestinians and their property. Israel attacked the US Liberty and the US Cole and more recently, relief ships in international waters that were delivering sustenance to Palestinians. The “nation” of Israel was created by the U.N. leadership, and it is past time for the U.N. leadership to call tabs on Israel, or to reverse the creation of “Israel”.
You are WAY off base on Israel. The Liberty was an accident during wartime. I steal did NOT attack the Cole … Muslims did.
Israel is not “destroying Palestinians and their property”. First, there is no such thing as a “Palestinian”. They are simply Arabs that the other Arabs don’t want in their countries. They are used as pawns by the surrounding countries to stir anger against Israel. There never was a Palestine … It’s an invention. The Jews have historical claims on Israel gong back thousands of years.
The “Palestinians” are anti-Israel, anti-US terrorists, plain and simple.
You are either ignorant of the facts or simply an anti-Semite.
The current “land-grant nation” of Israel is a UN invention, and is governed by zionists.
The historical Israel disappeared via miscegenation, as did semites, neither of whom were a “race”.
As far as the current usage of the word “jew”, Hebrew scholars have clarified which ethnic group overtook and are misusing the term.
Your scapegoating summarization clearly identifies which ethnic group you identify with. Another farce.
North Korea need’s extreme punishment America cut off sending them food immediatly
@carlwk3c
As far as the Liberty attack having been an accident during wartime, you demonstrate not ignorance, but rather prejudice. Recorded radio transmissions between the lead Israeli pilot and his base, reveal that the pilot told base that the Liberty was flying a US flag. Base repeated, “Attack, attack.” The traitor US president, Lyndon B. Johnson recalled USAF fighters that were initially sent to intervene and cover the Liberty. The measly reparations paid by “israel” were a drop in the bucket of what was due.
The attack on the Cole was proven to be Israeli military dressed as arabs. What are your excuses for the murdered passengers of the relief ships, performed by zionist pimpery in international waters ?
You are certainly not ignorant of the facts, you are simply blinded by your adherence to contemptible, zionist prejudice, and claiming to be someone you could not possibly be. Similar to the impostor, Obama.