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China-Japan-Koreas
Norks might be preparing another nuke test
2011-01-03
A U.S. reconnaissance satellite has detected signs of North Korea preparing for a nuclear test in North Hamgyong Province, where it had conducted two earlier tests in October 2006 and May 2009.
Image at the source shows a sat pic that might be of interest.
A South Korean government source on Wednesday said "brisk movement" of vehicles and people has been detected in Punggye-ri recently, including signs of activity there to repair a tunnel that collapsed after the two earlier nuclear tests.

However, it seems unlikely that the North will conduct a third nuclear test in the immediate future since current activities there suggest it will take "about three months" to prepare, the source added.
Unless they started two and a half months ago...
There is speculation that the North will attempt to reach a deal with the South Korean and the U.S. governments to ease sanctions while giving the impression that it is constantly ready to perform another nuclear test.
But the ROK won't go along given the recent attacks, so that's out.
Others speculate that Pyongyang may go ahead with the test to bolster the standing of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il's son Jong-un or to tighten controls now Kim junior has officially been established as the successor to the leadership.
Or it could be that they need the test to prove that their bomb actually works, since the first two tests are regarded by many experts as fizzles.
One South Korean security official said, "To consolidate the foundations for Kim junior's succession, the North will continue to try to bolster nuclear weapons and missiles in line with its "Songun" or military-first doctrine and its propaganda goal to become a "powerful and prosperous nation" by 2012, the centennial of regime founder Kim Il-sung's birth.

David Albright of the Institute for Science and International Security, a U.S. progressive think tank, said at a seminar hosted by the Institute for Corean-American Studies in Washington that the North may have already developed small nuclear warheads that can be fitted onto ballistic missiles.
That would be quite an advance, if true, and would clearly suggest that the best strategy is to remove the Kim dynasty in some way.
Posted by:Steve White

#4  ION NEA REGION...

To wit,

* PEOPLES DAILY FORUM > US BASE RELOCATION REMIANS BIG CHALLENGE FOR JAPAN IN 2011. Okinawa = MCAS Futenma + Guam relocation.

* SAME PDF > [Japan FM Seijii Maehara]JAPAN HOPES FOR SECURITY ALLIANCE WITH SOUTH KOREA.

* TOPIX > NEW OPTIONS ON FUTENMA UNDER REVIEW, RELOCATION TO HOKKAIDO, HONSHU URGED. Northern Japan.

IMO read, RUSSIA'S PROPOSED NEW MILBASES IN FORMER-JAPANESE-KURILES-NOW-SOVEREIGN-RUSSIAN-TERRITORY. ALso read, HAINAN + GULF/SEA OF VIETNAM II = ANTI-CHIN SEA DENIAL as China's PLAN, PLAAF cannot effec pass through widout USFJ Bases on one side, + Russ new Kurils SSSHH-NOT-ONLY-ANTI/AGZ-JAPAN? MilBases on the other + US SOSUS, etc. just offshore.

Ditto for Beijing + CPLA in SOUTH CHINA SEA.

* TOPIX > WIKILEAKS: KIM DIDN'T TRUST CHINA in 2009.

* SAME > SOUTH KOREAN PRESIDIENT CALLS ISLAND ATTACK AN OPPORTUNITY FOR CHANGE.

ARTIC = says POSK LEE meant changes for SOUTH KOREA-ONLY, BUT MY GUT SAYS LEE COVERTLY MEANS MUCH MUCH M-U-C-H MORE???

* SAME > REPORT: TAIWAN WILL NOT DEPLOY NEW MULTI-LAUNCH ROCKETS NEAR MAINLAND CHINA.

HMMM, HMMMMM, GUAM'S former WW2 MARBO COMMAND > instead of MARINE BASE OPERATIONS later MARIANAS-BONINS-OKINAWA, will become MARIANAS-OKINAWA-TAIWAN strategic perimeter [iff its ever re-activated]???
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2011-01-04 00:02  

#3  Or how_is. PIMF!!
Posted by: trailing wife   2011-01-03 22:32  

#2  What's an adit, Old Patriot? And howis it pronounced?
Posted by: trailing wife   2011-01-03 22:31  

#1  The photo was from 2006, and too small to show much other than an adit, possibly the one that was used for a previous test.
Posted by: Old Patriot   2011-01-03 18:45  

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