Monday, October 09, 2006

North Korea says nuclear test successful





North Korea said Monday it had conducted its first nuclear weapons test, setting off an underground blast in defiance of international warnings and intense diplomatic activity aimed at heading off such a move.

U.S. and South Korean officials could not immediately confirm the North Korean report but the U.S. Geological Survey said it recorded a seismic event with a preliminary magnitude of 4.2 in northeastern North Korea that coincided with the country's announced nuclear test.

8 comments:

Paul Kimball said...

Mac:

Hmm... so much for my clever plan to declare bankruptcy immediately after the Symposium, empty my bank account, and head to South Korea for a couple of years to teach English.

Time to start brushing up on my Spanish - Argentina is looking pretty good!

Paul

razorsmile said...

Yay! Fun Happy Death Rides a Pale Little Pony!

Ken said...

Kim Jong IL is an idiot. He and his regime have bitten off more than they can chew this time. I can almost guarantee that this spells the end for their communist government. Say hello to a unified Korea under democracy.

Paul Kimball said...

W.M. Bear:

First of all, the United States still has significant assets it could deploy there (i.e. they could bomb them even further back into the stone age than they already are). The DPRK would do some short term damage, but there's no doubt who would win that war, particularly with South Korea in the mix, and China on the side.

But I don't think the US is going to have to take that kind of action. I think this is a problem that even China now knows has gotten out of hand. I expect them to do the dirty work at some point.

Paul

Paul Kimball said...

Ken:

I can almost guarantee that this spells the end for their communist government

Yup.

Say hello to a unified Korea under democracy

Nope. At least, not anytime soon.

Paul

Paul Kimball said...

W.M.

Actually, "we" could take China too - "we" could win any war, against any opponent. The problem comes with guerilla campaigns (er, insurgencies), but that's always been the case (ask the British, Italians, French, Germans, Dutch, Portuguese, etc., etc.).

But that's not going to happen, because it's in China's interests to get rid of Kim Jong Wacko, and, if nothing else, China has a very good sense of self-interest. An unstable and nuclear armed DPRK destabilizes the entire region, and will provoke Japan to re-arm and re-orientate it's defense policies, and China DOES NOT want that.

So, Kim Jong Wacko's days are numbered (I doubt he knows it), and "we" won't have to do much of anything to make it happen. Which, I suspect, was the plan all along.

Paul

Ken said...

Watch the movie 'Team America' if you haven't already. It's fucking hilarious, especially in light of what Kim's doing now.

Kim's apparently also got a no.2 man, a guy by the name of Kim Yong Nam. Reminds me of Dr.Evil and his accomplice "No.2" (In this case I guess it would be Kim 2). Cracks me up.

Mac said...

"Team America" is funny, funny stuff. Hell, I think Kim's funny just the way he is . . . like some absurd James Bond villain.