Posted on 08/18/2006 5:54:55 PM PDT by garbageseeker
CAMP DAVID, United States (AFP) - US President George W. Bush warned North Korea against nuclear testing but would not say whether he had information confirming that preparations for such a test were under way.
"It's a hypothetical question," Bush told reporters. "And you're asking me to divulge intelligence information I have. I'm not going to do that, as you know."
But he added: "If North Korea were to conduct a test, it's just a constant reminder for people in the neighborhood, in particular, that North Korea poses a threat."
The US television network ABC reported on Thursday that North Korea may be preparing to conduct an underground test of a nuclear bomb.
"It is the view of the intelligence community that a test is real possibility," the network quoted a senior US State Department official as saying.
A senior military official told ABC that an unidentified US intelligence agency had recently observed "suspicious vehicle movement" at a suspected North Korean test site.
The activity included the unloading of large reels of cable outside an underground facility called Pungyee-yok in northeast North Korea, it said.
ABC said cables can be used in nuclear testing to connect an underground test site to observation equipment.
It said the intelligence had been brought to the attention of the White House last week but cautioned that it was "not conclusive."
An imminent nuclear test was predicted in North Korea last year but no test occurred.
ABC said underground nuclear tests are "notoriously difficult" to detect ahead of time and noted that the United States had failed to predict nuclear tests by India and Pakistan in 1998.
North Korea claims to have built nuclear weapons and sparked international alarm last month by test-firing seven ballistic missiles.
In Huntsville, Alabama on Tuesday the head of the US missile defense agency said he expects to make recommendations in a matter of months on where to position interceptor missiles and radar in Europe to best protect against the threat of Iranian missiles.
The European site would be the first expansion outside of the United States of an unproven US missile defense system that currently is aimed at thwarting a limited long-range missile attack by North Korea.
"We are facing a real threat," General Henry Obering said in a speech in Huntsville. "It is one that is growing. It is one that I consider to be one of the preeminent threats we'll face in the 21st century."
Obering's comments came just weeks after North Korea test fired a long-range Taepo-dong 2 missile and six shorter range Nodong and Scud-type missiles.
Although the long-range missile test failed early in flight, the others were successful.
"And so we have to be careful that we don't jump to the wrong conclusions about it. Even though they had a failure in a long range test does not mean they don't have capability," Obering said.
Now THAT I can wrap my mind around. LOL Reminds me though of a t-shirt our son bought years ago that said, "hukt on fonnex wrkd 4 me". Something like that. :)
LOL
check this out: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1686262/posts?page=1
And where would the two USN Tridents be situated on this map?
F
Yea, he is. Just hope he isn't crazy enough to run the test over Seoul or Tokyo.
Of course 5 days after NK's successfully testing an atomic nuke Japan is going to be a new thermonuclear power with warheads sitting on top of ICBMs.
A couple of hundred miles from the entrance to the Straits of Juan de Fuca? Doesn't really matter where they are, they can hit Little Kim right in his A$$.
Somewhere in the North and South Pacific. That is their "supposed" cruising areas. They are usually within 15 minutes strike time to their targets on the Asian continent.
I agree. Japan already has the technology and the rockets to accomplish that virually overnight. I will include South Korea and Taiwan. to become nuclear powers.
I agree. We need to start thinking of giving Japan back some of the military powers the lost in 1945 to counter the growing NK menace.
Let 'em test it.....Let the world see what Klinton and Al-Bright has wrought with their policy of appeasement.....
And we will do what?
BTW, what inspired you to choose your screen name?
A reminder that the Korean War is in a state of suspension only and could pick up where it left off at any time.
We're still footing most of the bill for Japan's defense, althought the Self Defense Force could easily be fleshed out into a top of the line military.
Disarming Japan made sense 60 years ago, but times have changed. They're being threatened by the North Koreans, and they need options that extend past asking Uncle Sam for help. Plus, without Japan as a counterweight to China, the PRC will become as dangerous as Imperial Japan ever was. They are natural competitors, and will help balance out the region, rather than make it an attractive target for Chinese aggression.
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