N. Korea Says It's Extracting Plutonium

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea dramatically raised the stakes in its nuclear standoff with the United States on Friday by saying it was "successfully reprocessing" more than 8,000 spent nuclear fuel rods that could be used in atomic bombs.

Just days before the first formal talks with North Korea in the six-month-old nuclear crisis, North Korea's Foreign Ministry said the U.S.-led war in Iraq had taught Pyongyang "it is necessary to have a powerful physical deterrent force."

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WASHINGTON, April 18 � The United States may cancel the first face-to-face meeting between American and North Korea officials in six months, U.S. officials said Friday, following Pyongyang�s announcement that it is �successfully reprocessing� 8,000 spent fuel rods, which would provide enough plutonium for several nuclear weapons. Even for a regime given to provocative statements, the North Korean announcement was a stunner because the two countries appeared to be edging toward lessening tension over Pyongyang�s nuclear weapons program, which Washington says must be entirely dismantled.

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N Korea needs a serious beat down.

When will the people understand that this is a waste and a pandora's box waiting to be opened???

it's only a matter of time my friend. they will be next, before or after syria. i think they are more of a threat than anyone, if we wait even six months, it will be hell for us.

they are more of a threat than iraq was that's for sure

however, i belive we'll stay mideast for a while since we're already there, after that, maybe cuba? doubt it, but then little things, like al qaeda an them. i think we'll save the worst for last. maybe not a good idea, cos by that time, they'll have a LOT of nukes. damn them.

maybe they want mass death? Then they could "protect" us better by taking away more rights eh?

they are more of a threat than iraq was that's for sure Posted by Lystergic

Militarily speaking very correct. However, the US isnt worrying about military threats at all right now, but going after economic threats, which Iraq et al poses right now.

Iraq potentially has the power to bring the US economy to its knees due to the dollar vs euro issue. NK has nukes galore, but cant touch the US economy.... So where are we deploying our forces??

Kind of gives you an idea about what holds more value to the administration doesnt it?

Of course, to be fair, we have more than enough forces deployed to the pacific rim to counter anything that NK could throw at us. Add to that the fact that all nuclear material/devices are being constantly tracked from orbit by the MilStar sats, and if we see any missles being fueled, we can shut it down in its silo with HAARP in a matter of minutes. (And if we wanted to try out Mindsnapper Mode, we could cause far worse loss of life in NK than through nuclear weapons)

This is still bluff. The Dear Leader has simply gone back to where he was and is trying to make it look as though he has raised the ante.
While any suggestion that America has more than the most elementary grasp of diplomacy will send Estragon into a fit of the giggles, I am mindful that Americans perfected the game of poker.
Setting aside the legality and morality of his actions, Bush-2 has achieved some remarkable things: he has explicitly gone for �r�gime change� and achieved it (yes, we know this was a Latin American cottage industry in the CIA and we know about Panama and Grenada: but these were secretive or relatively trivial things on what the US �rightly or wrongly �believed was its doorstep). In Afghanistan and Iraq, American military might has overthrown governments.
Secondly, by in effect ignoring the UN and by insisting that �pre-emptive� action is legal in terms of international law he has changed the game in an unprecedented fashion.
The net result is that those whom the US considers to be the bad guys are scared in ways they�ve never been scared before. Add to that the power, scale and reach of the US military �so amply demonstrated, and one can see why.
The Dear Leader can only hold or fold now. I suspect he�ll do the latter (for a sufficient supply of dollars, perhaps; but maybe for won and yen).
And if I lived in Teheran, I�d be worried.

And if I lived in Teheran, I�d be worried. Posted by Estragon

I would agree with that. Iran was Iraqs main coconspirator in the idea to force the OPEC vote on euro vs dollar. I am actually kind of surprised that the US isnt banging on Irans door instead right now.

Maybe Syria has a more influential vote in OPEC?

Maybe this is bait and switch? A swerve thrown to put Iran off guard?

I think it's first of all another demonstration: to scare Damascus and Pyongyang; but I am almost convinced that Iran will be next. It makes sense on all manner of levels: Shiite -and non-Arab- Iran has no real friends in the Arab world; it will be sandwiched between a US-dominated Iraq and a hostile Pakistan; there is lots of oil there; there is every chance of a successful restoration of a more popular government; there's an old debt from the Carter era to pay off;it's good terrain for shock and awe tactics and the men and materiel are there: no Turkey-factor - and the r�gime there is, in the eyes of most -be they right or wrong -a dreadful crew of madmen, bigots, crooks and supporters of terrorism.
I wouldn't want to say that the crowd is always right; but I suspect you'd hear the cheering from the space Station if Iran were invaded.

Let us not forget that after the United States, Iran supports more terror than any other country. Still when you put the two together it is like equating Bobby Brown with Charlie Manson.



*Sorry if some of you don't understand who Bobby Brown is. Basically he is your average hard head a**hole(pardon my french), who beats his wife and has drug problems.

[Edited on 18-4-2003 by Abraham Virtue]

Originally posted by Abraham Virtue
When will the people understand that this is a waste and a pandora's box waiting to be opened???

Yup. We should quit now. Roll over and wet on ourselves, give the keys to the nation to our enemies. No need in being on the right side of history over this, just go ahead, be on the panzy side and give in.
Aw heck, that wouldn't work, then all the bed-wetters would still get mad at the ones with backbones for allowing them to have their way.

As far as your noxious post saying that we are the largest supporters of terrorism, all I have to say is you have no idea what terror is, nor do you understand what true peace is.

Maybe I was a bit harsh in that post. Maybe I should have asked how you figure we are such the terrorist nation.

Need I say more????

Watch out for my New Topic called: The Real Terrorists.