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North Korea Breaks I.A.E.A. Seals on 8,000 Spent Nuclear Fuel Rods (BREAKING)
Dong-a Ilbo News (Seoul, Korea) ^ | 23 December 2002 | Dong-a Ilbo News (S.Korea)

Posted on 12/23/2002 8:05:48 AM PST by AmericanInTokyo

North Korea Breaks Seals on 8,000 Spent Nuclear Fuel Rods

DECEMBER 23, 2002 22:32 (Dong-a Ilbo News, Seoul, S.Korea)

North Korea has removed the seals and surveillance cameras installed to monitor the storage facilities containing 8,000 spent nuclear fuel rods that had been closely watched by the IAEA. A couple of days ago, the North also eliminated all IAEA`s inspection devices set up at the nuclear reactor in Yongbyon.

What makes the latest move of North more serious is the fact that the fuel rods have nothing do to with generation of electricity and can produce plutonium, which in turn can produce nuclear weapons. Therefore, the situation is spinning more and more out of control.

So far, it is believed, North Korea has dismantled surveillance devices at two of its 5 nuclear facilities whose operation had been frozen under the 1994 arms control accord in Geneva. The five facilities are the 5MW nuclear reactor in Yongbyon, the storage facility containing 8,000 spent fuel rods, the 50MW nuclear reactor whose construction was supposed to be completed sometime between 1995 and 1996, the 200MW reactor in Taechon, Pyongbook, and the radiochemical laboratory in Yongbyon

The IAEA announced on Sunday, "North Korea has taken additional actions to hinder the operation of the inspection devices on the storage facility of the nuclear wastes containing the 8,000 spent nuclear fuel rods. The storage facility is the number one target of our inspection activities."

IAEA`s Secretary General, Mohammed Elbaradei criticized, "The rods contain a considerable amount of plutonium. Therefore, it is a matter of grave concern in connection with the nonproliferation. The action North Korea took this time poses a profound hindrance to IAEA`s inspection activities to prevent the conversion of the nuclear material extracted from the spent fuel rods into production of nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosives."

Experts believe that the 8,000 fuel rods could produce 25kg of plutonium #239, which in turn could suffice to produce at lease three nuclear warheads, reported the AFP.

The facility whose seals were broken this time is in vicinity of the 5MW nuclear reactor in Yongbyon. The IAEA had double-sealed the spent fuel rods in stainless containers, and stored them in water tanks with surveillance cameras rolling over them.

One senior South Korean official said, "The IAEA bound 400 stainless containers and hang them on ropes connected above water in such a way that, if a person other than an inspector tried to temper with them, the trace must be left behind. It were these seals that North broke this time. The fuel rods, however, are still in the water tank."

North Korea`s state-run Central Agency reported on December 22 that North Korean regime started removing IAEA`s seals and surveillance cameras that had been set up under the Geneva accord. The agency announced that this action was caused by the United States` discontinuance of the fuel oil shipment.

At first, North Korea, through its Foreign Ministry spokesperson, announced that it would reactivate its nuclear program. Then, on December 21, it removed the seals and cameras on the 5MW reactor in Yongbyon.

Yesterday, South Korean government, through the comments of the Foreign Ministry, demanded, "The additional action on the part of North Korea may increase tension over the Korean Peninsula, and will amplify the concern of the international community over the nonproliferation issue."

The New York Times, citing a senior Bush administration official, reported yesterday that the United States government might consider "non-diplomatic" reactions if North got closer and closer to production of a nuclear weapon.

US State Department spokesperson also warned on Sunday that this action had caused a more serious consequence.

In the meanwhile, the Japanese government defined the removal of the seals as a violation of the 1994 accord, and protested against North Korea`s action via its embassy in Beijing.


TOPICS: Breaking News; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: crisis; iaea; longdong; nkorea; nukes; plutonium; yangybon
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To: Antoninus
Care to risk and find out? (examine striking distance from Kaesong, DPRK, to downtown Seoul, ROK...)
161 posted on 12/23/2002 12:47:11 PM PST by AmericanInTokyo
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To: Dan Day
My suggestion is to air-drop Carter (unwillingly, if need be) into North Korea and tell him not to return until he personally eliminates North Korea's nuclear weapon program.

Hey, now THIS ain't a bad idea. They'd commit hari-kari just so they wouldn't have to listen to Loud-Mouth Jimmy-bob talking about himself and his self-delusional accomplishments.

162 posted on 12/23/2002 12:47:52 PM PST by geedee
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To: NetValue

163 posted on 12/23/2002 12:51:06 PM PST by AmericanInTokyo
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To: AmericanInTokyo
LINKS OF INTEREST:

SEATTLE TIMES.com: "MISSILES SHOT AT JET ARE READILY AVAILABLE" by Jonathan S. Landay, Knight Ridder Newspapers (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "In May, the FBI warned U.S. law-enforcement agencies and airlines that intelligence reports indicated that Islamic extremists may have smuggled SA-7s and U.S.-made Stinger anti-aircraft missiles into the United States. The reports were based on monitors of Internet chat rooms that Islamic extremists use.") (113002)

stepping back in time...JEWISH WORLD REVIEW.com: "IRANIAN MULLAHS ARE SPONSORING A COURSE IN LEBANON FOR PALESTINIAN TERRORISTS ON HOW TO OPERATE SAM-7 SURFACE-TO-AIR MISSILES" by Richard Z. Chesnoff (February 20, 2002)

stepping back in time...JEWISH WORLD REVIEW.com: "AL-QAEDA'S IRANIAN ESCAPE HATCH" -Column by Richard Z. Chesnoff (COLUMN SNIPPET: "Senior counterterrorist agents in Europe have told me that, despite emphatic denials by the Iranian government, fugitive troops loyal to Osama Bin Laden continue to slip freely across Afghanistan's 600-mile border with Iran. From there, say the sources, they are being smuggled by members of Iran's Revolutionary Guard to a variety of countries in the Middle East, South America and possibly elsewhere.") (March 13, 2002)

stepping back in time....RPC.SENATE.GOV: "Clinton-Approved Iranian Arms Transfers Help Turn Bosnia Into Militant Islamic Base" (011697)

WASHINGTON TIMES.com: "CHINA SHIPS NORTH NORTH KOREA INGREDIENT FOR NUCLEAR ARMS" by Bill Gertz (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "North Korean procurement agents succeeded in buying 20 tons of tributyl phosphate, known as TBP, a key chemical used to extract material for nuclear bombs from spent nuclear fuel, said officials familiar with intelligence reports of the transfer.") (121702)

NewsMax.com: HOT TOPICS: "CHINA/TAIWAN"

CHARISMA NEWS.com - PERSECUTION WATCH: "NORTH KOREA"

WASHINGTON TIMES.com: "NORTH KOREA DELIVERS SEMI-SUBMERSIBLE GUNSHIPS TO IRAN" by Bill Gertz (121602)

FOX NEWS.com (AP): "NORTH KOREA DEMANDS U.S. APOLOGY" (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "North Korea demanded an apology Friday from the United States for what it described as 'piracy' in the seizure of a ship carrying missiles to Yemen.") (121302)

ICCWBO.org: "WEEKLY PIRACY REPORT"

***FOX NEWS.com: 'NORTH KOREA TO REACTIVATE NUCLEAR PROGRAM FROZEN SINCE 1994" (121202)

NewsMax.com: "CLINTON DEAL GAVE NORTH KOREA 100-NUKE-PER-YEAR CAPACITY" by Carl Limbacher and the NewsMax.com staff (October 19, 2002)

NewsMax.com - HOT TOPICS: "NORTH KOREA"

FAS.org: "NORTH KOREA SPECIAL WEAPONS GUIDE"

INA Today.com: "IRAQI OPPOSITION TO SADDAM HUSSEIN CONTROLLED BY PRO-IRANIAN GROUP?" by Toby Westerman (121802)

An interesting discussion on FREEREPUBLIC.com regarding an ALBAWABA.com article: "REPORT: NORTH KOREA DELIVERS GUNBOATS TO IRAN" (121602)

ALBAWABA.com: "RUSSIA TO CONTINUE WITH CONSTRUCTION OF IRANIAN NUCLEAR PROGRAM" (121602)

FOX NEWS.com (AP): "U.S. SUSPECTS TWO CONSTRUCTIONS SITES IN IRAN OF BEING FUTURE NUKE PROGRAM" (121202)

YAHOO! NEWS - Search Articles: "IRAN"

IRANmania.com

GLOBAL SECURITY.org: "PUBLIC EYE PICTURE OF THE WEEK - 2002"

164 posted on 12/23/2002 1:03:19 PM PST by Cindy
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To: optimistically_conservative
"I don't think most Americans understand how their thinking on war differs from Europeans and Asians"

You have to understand how deeply N Kor hates the US. At the end of the Korean War we had pretty much laid waste to everything they possessed including the infrastructure of the country. Fifty years later they still intend to make us hurt! Couple the intense hatred with the insanity of the national leadership stir in a nuclear bomb or two, and you have the fixins for an attack on the US that could make 9-11 look pretty small. Would they do it? You bet!

165 posted on 12/23/2002 2:02:58 PM PST by NetValue
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To: NetValue
understand how deeply N Kor hates the US

I'd like to think that as much as a relatively sane person can, I do.

S. Korea and Japan are more willing to avoid conflict than we are because of their recent history - but I will say this, nobody I know would predict what N. Korea will do, is doing, or thinking.

Maybe Churchill would say, "It is a riddle wrapped in mystery inside an enigma; but perhaps there is a key." But then he was talking about Russia, and the key was their own national interest. With nK, if it's not national interest, it is more probably what's in Kim Jong Il's best interest.

Without knowing how sane he is, or hateful of us, it's tough to guess how far he'll push this. But it is a fragile country right now, and it's not in his interest to push this farther than simple concessions.

166 posted on 12/23/2002 2:37:44 PM PST by optimistically_conservative
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To: JohnnyOla and HymanRoth
F*&^%er probably helped them.

America is too strong. We need a counter-balance out there to keep us in check, so we don't do evil things like attack Iraq. </sarcasm>

I would not be surprised if Carter really did deliberately help them. I wouldn't be surprised if he was just too stupid to realize what he was doing, either.

167 posted on 12/23/2002 5:14:04 PM PST by xm177e2
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To: pabianice
I am about 500 miles from NK on the island of Kyuhsu , not far from Nagasaki . Hope they aren't planning a Nagasaki 2 !
168 posted on 12/23/2002 6:03:10 PM PST by sushiman
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To: OXENinFLA
NK is pissing in our faces right now and WE'RE TAKING IT. Why?

We need to look back at what Israel did when they hit Saddam's nuke plant before it came on-line, we need to do the same NOW!!!!!!!!

Why exactly should we launch a strike on a country that has more artillery pieces in its armed forces than the U.S. did before the drawdown? Let's not forget that a good portion of these same artillery pieces are within range of Seoul. I'm sure that the millions of people living in Seoul would think it worth risking their lives so that we could prevent the North Koreans from threatening their lives, but then again, they may not be. If it came to war with NK, we would win, but it would be long, bloody and ugly. Why on earth would you start such a war?

169 posted on 12/23/2002 6:10:53 PM PST by AndrewSshi
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To: hchutch
I dunno if GPS-guided GBU-36 bombs can do it, but suppose we could use 2,700-pound projectiles hitting that complex at Mach 2+ twice a minute, and just hammer it that way for 45 minutes to an hour?

And then what do we do when they open up with the largest collection of artillery pieces on the planet earth? We are in South Korea for the protection of the South Koreans; why on earth should we initiate an action that would result in the deaths of millions of South Korean civilians?

170 posted on 12/23/2002 6:17:13 PM PST by AndrewSshi
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To: concerned about politics
Don't look for anybody in the GOP to blame Klinoon and the rats for this one, the RNC is incapable of laying the blame on the Democrats.

The DNC has no such problems with the GOP however.

Look for W to be blamed for this by the left,his "Axis of Evil " speech will be the reason the poor Koreans felt threatened.

These dog eating untermenschen are going to wish they hadn't started this.

And the North Koreans too.

171 posted on 12/23/2002 6:22:10 PM PST by Rome2000
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To: WatchNKorea
How funny!!
172 posted on 12/23/2002 6:41:25 PM PST by goldilucky
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To: AndrewSshi; Poohbah
And a lot of those same people are just as dead if, as a last gasp before his regime collapses, Kim Jong-Il decides to try to take the capitalists in Seoul, Pusan, Kadena, and Saesbo down with him - using Nodong and Taepodong missiles. And those people will have less of a chance with what he'll have those missiles tipped with.

Do the fancy dancing long enough to get the platforms that fire the rounds described in post 65 up and running, then send those platforms to take Yongbyon out - thoroughly. Blast that entire facility to hell. War's coming there, and the best chance we'll have is to make our move first.
173 posted on 12/23/2002 6:58:06 PM PST by hchutch
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To: Sabertooth
Because under Bill Clinton, the doctrine of being able to fight two major conflicts simultaneously was abandoned

Not quite, the doctrine of being able to fight two major conventional conflicts simultaneously was abandoned.

174 posted on 12/23/2002 7:30:14 PM PST by Sawdring
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To: Publius Maximus; AmericanInTokyo
<< Why does my sixth sense tell me we are being drawn into a proxy war with China...? >>

Because you are an Intelligent American Man, one not likely to be turned away FRom the Truth by reports of and/or by realities that you find disturbing to your peace of mind -- and are a student of History?

Perhaps?

Best ones -- Brian
175 posted on 12/24/2002 1:51:38 AM PST by Brian Allen
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To: Thinkin' Gal; AmericanInTokyo
<< Hmmm, perhaps that should be a blast-zone map. >>

Put money on it.
176 posted on 12/24/2002 1:53:50 AM PST by Brian Allen
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