Posted on 10/09/2006 12:26:47 AM PDT by bd476
Earlier: Rumsfeld says North Korea nuke test would signal international failure
ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said Thursday if North Korea successfully tests a nuclear weapon, it will show weakness on the part of the international community.
‘‘And that failure ... is something that the international community would have to register and ask itself how comfortable are we being that ineffective in this situation,’’ Rumsfeld told reporters at the Pentagon during a visit by Croatian Defense Minister Berislav Roncevic.
His comments came as U.S. officials warned North Korea anew not to test a nuclear weapon.
‘‘It isn’t in their interest and it isn’t in anyone’s interest,’’ Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill, the top U.S. negotiator on the communist country’s nuclear program, told AP Television. ‘‘We will not accept a nuclear state.’’
Rumsfeld also said that a successful North Korean test could prompt other countries to pursue nuclear weapons.
‘‘Because of the ineffectiveness, and the lack of cohesion and the inability to marshal sufficient leverage to prevent North Korea from proceeding toward a nuclear program ... it will kind of lower the threshold, and other countries will step forward with it,’’ Rumsfeld said.
He added that depending on whether the test is above or below ground, the United States has as good a capability of detecting it as any country. But he declined to say whether or not it would trigger any U.S. military action.
‘‘I wouldn’t be the person who would make a decision like that. That’s a decision for the country, and a decision for president,’’ Rumsfeld said.
The United States has sent a message of ‘‘deep concern’’ to the North through diplomatic channels at the United Nations in New York, Hill said Wednesday, adding that the North Koreans had received it and had not yet responded.
The North Korean announcement gave no date for any test, but U.S. intelligence agencies are keeping close watch over activity at possible test sites in the North, even while cautioning against reading too much into every movement.
The United States and North Korea have no diplomatic relations outside deadlocked six-nation nuclear talks and rarely communicate with each other so directly.
Hill would not discuss policy options, but he said senior U.S. diplomats, including Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, were in steady communication with their counterparts in Asia and Europe.
In the event of a nuclear test, Hill said, ‘‘We would have no choice but to act and act resolutely to make sure (North Korea) understood, and make sure every other country in the world understands, that this is a very bad mistake.’’
U.S. and international officials also said the U.N. Security Council would consider sanctions against the North if the test occurs.
A U.S. intelligence official, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the highly sensitive situation with North Korea, said the United States is now seeing the movement of people, materials and vehicles and other activity around one possible test site. But, the official said, it could be similar to activity seen a couple of months ago. No test occurred then.
The United States has spy satellites and other eavesdropping equipment aimed at North Korea, including ground-based seismic sensors.
While North Korean leader Kim Jong Il may decide to hold the test, it cannot be ruled out that Tuesday’s threat was saber-rattling, an effort to force a change in stalled nuclear negotiations or some other motivating factor.
———
Associated Press writers Barry Schweid, Katherine Shrader and Foster Klug contributed to this report.
You are finding all the good stuff.
People still don't get it that there are evil nuts in this world, who only understand force and negotiations with them only emboldens them.
The time for sanctions was in 1994, and military action a year later, if NK didn't comply, instead the Clinton administration gave NK nukes.
Timeline: North Korea's nuclear weapons program
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1716096/posts
_1993: North Korea shocks world by saying it will quit Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, later suspends its withdrawal.
_1994: North Korea, United States sign agreement in Geneva, North pledges to freeze, eventually dismantle, nuclear weapons program in exchange for help building two power-producing nuclear reactors.
_Sept. 17, 1999: U.S. President Bill Clinton agrees to first major easing of economic sanctions against North Korea since Korean War's end in 1953.
_July 2000: North Korea threatens to restart nuclear program if Washington does not compensate for loss of electricity due to delays in building nuclear power plants.
No, it really isn't good news at all. Thank you for the link, B-Chan.
Everyone at FR is good at finding info. Still, that's quite a compliment, F.O. Thanks. :-)
Thank you for supplying the background information, the link to the thread and the time line!
I guess talking and gifts didn't work. Heck, aren't the South Koreans still shipping rice to the KoreaComs?
yitbos
A North Korean soldier gestures from a ship on the Yalu River at Dandong, on China's border with North Korea Monday Oct. 9, 2006. (AP / Greg Baker)
I bet they're hungry... :)
LOL!
That ship looks like is suffers from dry rot wonder what is keeping the windows in place?
Riiiight. ;-)
Hmm, let me think...
- termites holding hands,
- rat droppings duct-taped together,
- mold bonded with superglue,
- braided lint ropes and/or
- 3 month old unrefrigerated leftover kimchi
Ohmigawd...the Eurowussies aren't gonna like Rummie calling them "ineffective"...
No, but they have undoubtedly become quite accustomed to hearing it. Along the lines of "if the shoe fits" and all that...
Trio Sings "Itsy Bitsy Spider" in 3 part harmony
One of them had to be thrown out of power, literally! Germany said "Auf wiedersehen" to Der Steuer Meister Schroeder.
Chirac's definitely out next year. It will be Center-right Sarkozy, Le Pen with an outside chance if the vieux con still wants to run.
Putin retires next year as well with elections scheduled. The world starts to look better already, no?
And again, Rummy would be correct. The International community IS a failure, a total and complete failure.
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