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U.S.: Test Points to N. Korea Nuke Blast
Oct 13 7:55 PM US/EasternThe U.S. government has determined that one scientific test, among many conducted since North Korea's announced nuclear test, was consistent with a nuclear explosion, a senior administration official said Friday night. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, cautioned that the administration has not made a definitive conclusion about the nature of the explosion. "The betting is that this was an attempt at a nuclear test that failed," the official said. "We don't think they were trying to fake a nuclear test, but it may have been a nuclear fizzle _ an effort that failed." The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the information. The official said the test measures a type of gas. It is one of a number of analyses conducted this week, which have not provided clarity about what North Korea detonated on Monday. Earlier Friday, results from another test disclosed Friday _ an initial air sampling _ showed no evidence of radioactive particles that would be expected from a successful nuclear detonation, a U.S. government intelligence official said. But those test results did not necessarily mean the North Korean blast was not a nuclear explosion, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to disclose the sampling results. Posted by: lotp 2006-10-13 |
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