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Satellite photos signal flurry of activity at NORK reactor
From East Asia Intel, subscription.SEOUL Recent satellite imagery of smoke wafting from the North Koreas nuclear facility at Yongbyon suggests an intensified effort at building nuclear warheads. Analysts were more impressed, however, by photos that showed not only the smoke but also vehicles and containers besides the main building at the site. The vehicles and containers were not seen in images taken earlier on March 5, 2003, South Koreas Yonhap news agency noted. Speculation about activity at the site intensified after the Global Security website showed four satellite photographs that it said were shot on Jan. 5, 2006. The images showed what was described as a plume of smoke though there was speculation the smoke might have resulted from a rise in temperature and humidity. Satellite image of reactor area HERE. The presence of the vehicles and containers, however, indicated that North Korean scientists might be revving up activity at the 5-megawatt reactor at Yongbyon, where they are believed to have built several nuclear warheads. In addition to the vehicles and containers, the imagery shows that a dirt path had been paved seen as one of a number of clues of North Koreas determination to press on with its nuclear weapons program regardless of whether it returns to six-party talks in Beijing. Analysts also said North Korea could be deliberately signaling activity at the site to spread alarm in South Korea and the United States as a negotiating tactic. I think that this US Administration is finished with appeasement. I damned well hope that they are. Nihon Keizai Shimbun, the Japanese financial newspaper, reported that North Korea had resumed construction of two other, much larger reactors at Yongbyon, one of them 50 megawatts, the other 200 megawatts. Nikkei, as the paper is known, said sources in Washington reported that North Korea had indirectly intimated resumption of work on those reactors. South Korean officials, anxious to downplay such reports while pursuing reconciliation with the North, said there was no substantiation of the report. Maybe the SKors should have said that they are investigating the validity of the report. Their quick dismissal of the report shows the length that they would go to appease the NORKS. North Koreas Gen. Li Chan-Bok, a veteran negotiator who is often wheeled out for tough-sounding interviews with foreign visitors, has intimated from time to time that North Korea was resuming construction of these reactors, suspended after the signing of the Geneva Framework Agreement in October 1994 when North Korea also shut down the 5-megawatt reactor. The NORKS need an attention-getter, after we've been ignoring them at the fabled Six-Party That agreement unraveled in late 2002 when U.S. officials said North Korea had admitted the existence of a separate uranium enrichment program for developing warheads with uranium at their core rather than the plutonium in the warheads fabricated at Yongbyon. North Korea kicked out IAEA inspectors at the end of that year. And Madeline Albright sought out other venues for 5-star hotels and gourmet cuisine. Posted by: Alaska Paul 2006-05-18 |
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