North Korea warns of 'horrifying' nuclear disasters

abc ^ | March 2, 2003

[Indy Pendance]

North Korea has accused US intelligence of staging a secret drill for a surprise attack on its nuclear facility and warned that an attack would trigger "horrifying nuclear disasters".

The North's ruling Workers Party newspaper Rodong Sinmun, argued the United States was pushing ahead with "actual military actions that came in accordance with the second Korean war scenario of aggression".

"What merits a serious attention is that a special operation group of the CIA staged a secret drill to make a surprise attack on the nuclear facility of the DPRK (North Korea) and destroy it," it said.

"The US projected attack on the nuclear facility of the DPRK presupposes a nuclear war."

Tensions along the world's last remaining Cold War frontier escalated last week after Washington's announcement that North Korea had restarted a five-megawatt reactor capable of producing weapons-grade plutonium.

The newspaper said its armed forces were ready to "mercilessly wipe out" a war of aggression.

"If the US imperialists ignite a war on the Korean peninsula, the war will turn into a nuclear war," it said.

"As a consequence, the Koreans in the North and South and the people in Asia and the rest of the world will suffer horrifying nuclear disasters."

US

US Joint Chief of Staff Chairman Richard Myers told NBC last week that if President George W Bush decides to use military force to resolve special issues, US troops are ready to operate in a flexible and effective manner.

Mr Myers reportedly said the United States maintains and updates all military options, including pre-emptive nuclear attacks, against North Korea.

However, Yonhap news agency said the Seoul government dismissed talk of a US plan to attack North Korea as "not true".

"The US side told us that the talk of launching a preemptive strike against the North is not true," an unnamed government official here was quoted as saying.

"We've heard from the US Government that Myers was referring to the general principle that the military has always had contingency plans when he talked about attacking the North," he said.

In a speech on Saturday local time, new South Korean President Roh Moo-Hyun warned of "horrible consequences" unless the nuclear stand-off was resolved peacefully.

"We would be unable to cope with the horrible consequences should peace on the Korean Peninsula be broken for whatever reasons," he said.

Eight years ago, the Korean Peninsula was on the brink of war over a possible US attack on North Korea's nuclear facility at Yongbyon, some 90 kilometres north of Pyongyang.

North Korea resolved the 1994 crisis by agreeing to freeze the Yongbyon complex under a deal, known as the Agreed Framework.

The deal collapsed amid a new crisis sparked last October when Washington said North Korea had admitted running a separate nuclear programme based on enriched uranium.

Fears are now centred on the 8,000 spent fuel rods stored at Yongbyon as reprocessing them could yield enough plutonium for half a dozen bombs.

US newspaper The New York Times reported experts and intelligence officials had told US President George W Bush they expected the North would reactivate its reprocessing plant in the next few weeks.

[TheConservator]

The only nuclear disaster that might occur in or around N. Korea is the vaporization of that tiny, thoroughly evil, but insignificant little country. And the world would probably be better for it.

[tomahawk]

And their point is ...? Reap what you sow, Kim.

[Principled]

THe north korean leader is mad.

[KevinDavis]

Jimmy Carter did a wonderful job there.

[Pietro]

This is the danger of stretching out the Iraqi issue. This country must be dealt w/ but we can't do it at the same time we're playing "where's the button" w/ France in the UN.

W is allowing things to unravel in a most dangerous way. It's time to fire Powell and get on w/ US national security.

[backhoe]

-The Atomic Genie- what we know about North Korea's Nuclear program--

[Beck_isright]

Let's see, you have 2 nukes. We have over 2,000. If we fire oh, say, 30, that should more than answer your two and eliminate the North Korean problem once and for all.

[snooker]

>>>Jimmy Carter did a wonderful job there.

He got the nobel peace prise for his work, fortunately they gave it to him before men-ta-li-il showed the world what he was doing.

I wonder if they can take it back?

snooker

[AntiGuv]

I think it'd be wise to restrain our nukes, just so we can limit the radioactive fallout over Japan - still a reliable ally. I think if it comes down to that, 4 or 5 thermonuclear devices (versus NKs puny atomic bombs) should do the trick nicely enough.... ;)

[gulfcoast6]

Then S Korea can use it as a parking lot.

[Beck_isright]

I was thinking along the lines of those new smaller tactical ones with the low fallout and bunker busting capabilities. I can not for the life of me remember what they are called but they are less than 1mt each and are considered "cleaner" (More environmentally friendly? LOL) nukes.

[SpaceBar]

Let's see, you have 2 nukes. We have over 2,000. If we fire oh, say, 30, that should more than answer your two and eliminate the North Korean problem once and for all.

Not only that, he's might have a couple of crude fission devices. We have hydrogen warhead city killers that have been refined and improved for half a century. If Kim Jong Il wants to take a knife to a gunfight, that's fine with me.

[Beck_isright]

It's sort of like they are firing a .22 and we respond with a 155. It's the same mistake the Iraqis did in 91; they fired out of range of us, we responded with a Hellfire and blew the snot out of their tank.

[Semper Paratus]

If we fire oh, say, 30

For that country any after 4 would just be re-arranging the rubble.

[backhoe]

Oh, BTW- do you really want to scare the !#$%! out of yourself?

If so, go here:

http://news.google.com/

And punch in the boolean search string

+north korea +nuclear

You won't like what you find- even in the mainstream media.

[Beck_isright]

Yeah, but haven't you always wanted to watch the results after some Trident II's MIRV'd? It would re-awaken the Ruskies and ChiComs as to what they would be in store for if they dared to attack us. Besides if we lost, oh, say San Francisco in the exchange, I think we come out way ahead.

[mrb1960]

Are these people out their freaking minds??? Since when does North Korea have enough nuclear fire power to decimate the Koreas and parts of Asia???

I think it's time someone put those raving lunatics out of existence and get someone in here who has at least half a brain!

[Tired]

Two of my favorite sayings come to mind. Nuke 'em 'til they glow. Kill 'em all and let God sort them out.

[forktail]

I like San Fran. They have good food. And the bridge is very nice.