N. Korea to Let U.S. Experts See Nuke Site

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040102/ap_on_re_as/koreas_nuclear&cid=516&ncid=716 ^

[Conservative_Nationalist]

N. Korea to Let U.S. Experts See Nuke Site 2 minutes ago

BY SANG-HUN CHOE, Associated Press Writer

SEOUL, South Korea - North Korea (news - web sites) has agreed to allow a U.S. delegation to visit its main nuclear complex next week, a South Korean official said Friday.

The trip would mark the first time outsiders have been allowed to inspect North Korea's main nuclear facilities at Yongbyon, north of Pyongyang, since the communist country expelled U.N. nuclear monitors in late 2002.

USA Today first reported Friday that Washington approved the trip and it was scheduled for Jan. 6-10. The newspaper said the U.S. delegation would include Sig Hecker, director of the Los Alamos National Laboratory from 1985 to 1997. The laboratory produced the first U.S. nuclear bomb.

"The report is true," an official at the South Korean Foreign Ministry said. "The U.S. side has informed us of the trip."

USA Today said the delegation also included a China expert from Stanford University, two Senate foreign policy aides who have previously visited Pyongyang and a former State Department official who has negotiated with North Korea.

Jason Rebholz, a spokesman of the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, said he had no information on the trip and could not comment on the news report.

North Korea is believed to be running a nuclear weapons program at Yongbyon. The United States is trying to persuade the North to give up its nuclear program in return for aid and better ties with the outside world.

[HAL9000]

This is big.

[Steel Wolf]

Oh, boy, a visit. I sure hope we catch em doing something wrong!

What nonsense. I'm certain that this feeble half of a half step will not placate Bush in the least. Obviously, we've got nothing to gain from this trip. The North Koreans will show us what they want us to see, in an attempt to either cover up what they are doing, or mislead us in some way.

[Squantos]

Libya already got the message from GW last month.... I suspect Kim finally had it deciphered too. Iran and Syria of course decipher right to left so it should take a week or two longer.........Impressive as to some of the workings goings on in the background. Oh thats right.... Powell's been out sick so things are getting done.

Stay Safe !

[eastforker]

Man this is just too cool.Something is going right for the US.You think they took a hint from Libya?

[eastforker]

OTOH why would they let us visit at all? Something is shakin, too many good things happening.

[Conservative_Nationalist]

I don't know what's wrong with North Korea. I really don't think we would ever invade them if they just gave up the Nuclear weapons and stopped threatening people. If they think this is the way to avoid a war then they must be kidding themselves. I think they are making a huge mistake by provoking us. Maybe they have finally figured out there policy is going to have the opposite effect to what they want. This is just the beginning but it could be a very big development.

[Steel Wolf]

It's a little early to break out the champagne, guys. This isn't great news.

This is a shell game. There are literally hundreds of places that we would need to inspect in North Korea. Being allowed to make a quick visit to one site that we used to have full time access to is not a net gain for our side.

North Korea's nuclear program is a long term project of almost unparalleled secrecy. In the year that we've been gone, and the decade before that, any number of underground facilities could have been tapped to support this effort. We will be able to superficially check the current state of affairs at Yongbyon, but this won't tell us much that we don't already know.

I am not impressed. I'd caution anyone against being overly excited about this.

[Fledermaus]

I'm sure Kim will whisper into the U.S. envoy's ear, "take our word and we love you long time".

[Graymatter]

N. Korea to Let U.S. Experts See Nuke Site

Isn't that special!
Taliban, Iraq, Libya, and now this. The world is having kittens on W's doorstep.
Purrrrrrrrrr.
Nice kitties!

[eastforker]

Yea but why let us look at all?With all that has gone on in the last month or so, there has been some development we are not privy to that has gotten the attention of rogue leaders,what it is I don't know.

[Steel Wolf]

Kim Jong Il considers nuclear weapons essential to the survival of his regime. He will not give them up under any circumstances.

By his calculation, we will not attack another nuclear armed state. He also sees rich, nuclear free neighbors who may be inclined to pay him off rather than risk his state failing. The implicit threat of the 'madman with nukes' routine is that if he's going down, everyone's going down with him. Much of Kim's carefully cultivated image of being insane is to scare the neighbors into giving him what he wants, but if his regime falls, he will not go quietly.

He is sane, but badly warped. He views his state as his by natural right, and his citizens as slaves to his will. His concern for them only extends to their capability to serve his interests. Whether or not they starve by the millions, or burn in nuclear fire, is simply not his concern. He cares only about maintaining power and obedience. His entire nation is a gulag, a nightmare realm of misery, starvation, and cult like leader worship.

Kim Jong Il has powerful enemies abroad, and a society he dare not try and reform. This type of person will never, ever be motivated to disarm. He must either have nuclear weapons, or lose his grip on power.

[Steel Wolf]

Yea but why let us look at all?

Easy. They want to look like they're making concessions, and they expect compensation for it. Think about it.

A year ago, North Korea announces that they've been running a secret nuclear weapons program, and then kicked out the international inspectors stationed at Yongbyon.

Now, North Korea announces that they are willing to allow a quick visit to Yongbyon.

How does that equate progress again? It doesn't. This is an empty gesture. North Korea needs food and time. They're hoping to buy themselves both with this concession, and it will probably work.

[MEG33]

His regime is a nightmare and Kim is unstable.I did want to ..perhaps ,have a glimmer of hope for more than 3 minutes!

[getgoing]

Info on their tactical chemical/biological weapons or the schedule for moving our troops to a safer area?

[Steel Wolf]

What do you think, AIT? Am I missing something here or is this not a cause for celebration?

[Conservative_Nationalist]

"Kim Jong Il considers nuclear weapons essential to the survival of his regime."

I know he believes this but I think he's wrong. I believe his regime is in more danger if it keeps it's nukes than it would be if it gave them up. I don't think we would invade them if they gave up their nukes but I feel we will use some kind of strike against them sooner or later if they continue behaving the way they have been.

[endthematrix]

All you optimists! This is N Korea showing the world the fruits of their labor. Jong said they have em, we think we know they have em and we will verify that. Once we know and evaluate the program the Administration may drop a hint with a current copy of the Pentagon's Nuclear Posture Review and raise the stakes or it may pull out a fat check with an international nuclear consortium contract written on it to diffuse a tense situation. Mainly this is NK's day to be a small player at a big table

[Steel Wolf]

Info on their tactical chemical/biological weapons

Bio weapons, not so much. They are capable of weaponizing biological warfare agents, but do not emphasize those pursuits like they do with nuclear or chemical weapons. Bio is too hard to control, and there is too much potential for it to backfire. In close quarters and with virtually no medical infrastructure if the disease finds its way home, going bio is not an attractive option for the DPRK.

Chemical weapons, well, you name it. They've pumped out a huge stock of nerve, blister, choking and blood agents and can fire them from just about any indirect fire platform they have, from SCUDs to mortars. They have a serious investment in chemical training and equipment for their troops (and civilians) at all levels, so they can operate offensively and defensively in a chemical environment.

Their concept of use is to hit the front line areas with non persistent agents that will clear a path for their advancing units. They will use persistent agents deeper south, on cities, logistical nodes, etc, in order to cause delay, panic and confusion.

Their chemical arsenal is vast and horrific. Chemicals are 'poor man's WMD', and not nearly as effective as nuclear weapons. Still, in such large quantities and down so narrow a peninsula, they could cause staggering casualties.

schedule for moving our troops to a safer area?

The details are still being ironed out, lots of moving parts to fiddle with. It will probably be incremental, and partial, but we'll have the bulk of our guys at a safer distance within a couple of years.

[Byron_the_Aussie]

"The United States is now clamouring about a 'nuclear issue' and putting pressure on us, but their clamour is totally unfounded. As everybody knows, our Republic is a non-nuclear, peace-loving country. We have no nuclear weapons, and do not have any desire or ability to make them. We have no nuclear weapons now and will not have any in the future, either. Denuclearizing the Korean peninsula is a consistent policy of the government of our Republic. We will continue making efforts to denuclearize the Korean peninsula."

Kim Il Sung, Answers to Questions Raised by a Journalist Delegation from America's CNN, 1994