Article

2005-05-09 China-Japan-Koreas

N. Korean Official: Nuclear Test 'Indispensible' Step

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Posted by Steve 2005-05-09 1:44:27 PM|| || Front Page|| [4 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Too bad we can't arrange an 'early test' while kimmie-boy-the-baby-killer and his henchmen are drooling over their latest toy.

(Meanwhile their people are starving...).

Posted by CrazyFool 2005-05-09 14:24|| 2005-05-09 14:24|| Front Page Top

#2 Who says we can't?

Posted by Tom 2005-05-09 14:37|| 2005-05-09 14:37|| Front Page Top

#3 The NORKS are running a pretty good sized risk here, if it's a pure Paki design you got a fair chance of a fizzle.

Posted by Shipman 2005-05-09 15:56|| 2005-05-09 15:56|| Front Page Top

#4 Pakistan's bomb was of Chinese design. They have little, if any, ability to design weapons on their own.

Posted by john 2005-05-09 16:19|| 2005-05-09 16:19|| Front Page Top

#5 Nuke the Nuke Test Dammit!

Posted by Valentine 2005-05-09 16:58|| 2005-05-09 16:58|| Front Page Top

#6 John, my understanding is that a couple of the Paki booms fizzed. Any truth to that?

Posted by Shipman 2005-05-09 18:55|| 2005-05-09 18:55|| Front Page Top

#7 I remember reading something similar. Old saying adapted: If a test fails in the forest can you still hear the spittle....

Posted by Frank G">Frank G 2005-05-09 19:12|| 2005-05-09 19:12|| Front Page Top

#8 Some of the weapons did fizzle. Even those that worked gave a lower than expected yield (from the seismic signature).
The Chinese design may have been proven but Pakistani engineering capability is another matter.
The AQ Khan documents from Libya (bomb blueprints in Chinese, with Urdu translations) show the Chinese had to provide very detailed instructions for component fabrication.

Here is an interesting fact:
During the first 40 years, all the universities and research institutions in Pakistan produced only 128 PhDs in scientific disciplines. Of these 89 were produced in 1982-86.
Most of these PhDs were in chemical and biological sciences
http://www.mshel.com/book00079.html

No country that has produced just 128 science PHDs in 40 years can have any sort of scientific or engineering capability to produce nuclear weapons or missile systems.

Posted by john 2005-05-09 19:30|| 2005-05-09 19:30|| Front Page Top

#9 good point, John - and hired hands have less motivation to make things perfect

Posted by Frank G">Frank G 2005-05-09 19:43|| 2005-05-09 19:43|| Front Page Top

#10 Their bulk purchase of medical triggered spark gaps (used in lithotripers but usable in nukes) is also notable.

Pakistan is simply unable to manufacture all the components in their bombs. They are not buying machinery to manufacture components, they are buying the actual triggers for weapons.

We also know their missiles are Chinese and North Korean imports (but painted islamic green). They have never made a satellite laucher. What kind of rocket program could they have?

The Chinese strategy of arming proxy rogue nations in order to tie down potential opponents is responsible for this mess.

Posted by john 2005-05-09 20:06|| 2005-05-09 20:06|| Front Page Top

#11 One other point:

The reports on the North Korean test preparations state that no equipment for monitoring has been seen.
This is similar to the Pakistani 1998 tests. Reports at the time said they quickly excavated a shaft, buried a bomb and set it off.
No real attempt at gathering data was observed.
Why not? Answer is simple. The design was not theirs and they were unable to modify it. Test data is meaningless in this context. They could do nothing with it. The physics is beyond their capabilities.

Posted by john 2005-05-09 20:19|| 2005-05-09 20:19|| Front Page Top

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