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China-Japan-Koreas
Norks to test two more nukes in 2013
2013-02-15
Oh joy...
North Korea has told its key ally, China, that it is prepared to stage one or even two more nuclear tests this year in an effort to force the United States into diplomatic talks, said a source with direct knowledge of the message.

Further tests could also be accompanied this year by another rocket launch, said the source, who has direct access to the top levels of government in both Beijing and Pyongyang.

"It's all ready. A fourth and fifth nuclear test and a rocket launch could be conducted soon, possibly this year," the source said, adding that the fourth nuclear test would be much larger than the third, at an equivalent of 10 kilotons of TNT.

The tests will be undertaken, the source said, unless Washington holds talks with North Korea and abandons its policy of what Pyongyang sees as attempts at regime change.
Trust us, we'd love to see regime change in Nork-land, we just have no idea how to go about getting it done without destroying much of South Korea in the process.
North Korea also reiterated its long-standing desire for the United States to sign a final peace agreement with it and establish diplomatic relations, he said. North Korea remains technically at war with both the United States and South Korea after the Korean war ended in 1953 with a truce.
Peace agreement and diplomatic relations are the prelude to the sorts of accommodations the Norks, and their masters the Chinese, want us to make. They then want us off the peninsula, to abandon South Korea as an ally, to neuter Japan, and to give/sell them food, oil and so on. For a small power to do this successfully in that part of the world would be seen as major, major concessions and loss of face on our part. That's exactly what the Chinese want.
In Washington, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland urged North Korea to "refrain from additional provocative actions that would violate its international obligations" under three different sets of U.N. Security Council resolutions that prohibit nuclear and missile tests.
Keep urging, Vicky, but don't hold your breath...
North Korea "is not going to achieve anything in terms of the health, welfare, safety, future of its own people by these kinds of continued provocative actions. It's just going to lead to more isolation," Nuland told reporters.

North Korea's latest test, its third since 2006, prompted warnings from Washington and others that more sanctions would be imposed on the isolated state. The U.N. Security Council has only just tightened sanctions on Pyongyang after it launched a long-range rocket in December. Pyongyang is banned under U.N. sanctions from developing missile or nuclear technology after its 2006 and 2009 nuclear tests.
Worked well, huh...
North Korea worked to ready its nuclear test site, about 100 km (60 miles) from its border with China, throughout last year, according to commercially available satellite imagery. The images show that it may have already prepared for at least one more test, beyond Tuesday's subterranean explosion.

"Based on satellite imagery that showed there were the same activities in two tunnels, they have one tunnel left after the latest test," said Kune Y. Suh, a nuclear engineering professor at Seoul National University in South Korea.

Analysis of satellite imagery released on Friday by specialist North Korea website 38North showed activity at a rocket site that appeared to indicate it was being prepared for a launch (here).

North Korea has said the test was a reaction to "U.S. hostility" following its December rocket launch. Critics say the rocket launch was aimed at developing technology for an intercontinental ballistic missile.

"(North) Korea is not afraid of (further) sanctions," the source said. "It is confident agricultural and economic reforms will boost grain harvests this year, reducing its food reliance on China."
Posted by:Steve White

#10  See JAPAN TIMES > NORTH KOREA UPGRADING ROCKET SITE, FEATURES POINT TO IRANIAN HELP.

and

* DEFENCE FORUM INDIA > NORTH KOREA READY FOR ICBM TEST | [Space Daily] NORTH KOREA MAKES PROGRESS AT MISSLE SITE.

* BHARAT RAKSHAK > [Rodong Simrun] NORTH KOREA: NORTH KOREA MUST HAVE NUCLEAR WEAPONS AND INTERCONTINETAL MISSLES TO DETER WEST, i.e. for its Existential, National + Nuclear Security.

VERSUS

* BHARAT RAKSHAK > [The Australian = Greg Sheridan] SOURCE: NOKO NOW IMMUNE FROM ATTACK.

Quoting an anonymous US Official, whom also claims that the DPRK has now become an EXISTENTIAL THREAT TO THE US???

"IMMUNE FROM ATTACK" > IMO 'tis likely a bit premature - KEY WILL BE ANY INDIGENOUS NUKE-ARMING OF SOUTH KOREA [ + Japan, ASEAN?].

RELATED ASAHI SHIMBUN/AJW > JAPAN DEFENSE CHIEF [DM Itsunori Onodera] COULD HAVE PREEMPTIVE STRIKE ABILITY IN FUTURE.

* SAME > NUCLEAR "FINGERPRINTING" SHOWS JUST HOW POTENT NORTH KOREA'S NUCLEAR ARSENAL HAS BECOME.

Explosive yield for NOKOR's various Nuke Tests has upwardly progressed from one-kiloton back in 2006, to five-kilotons in 2009, to now ten kilotons in 2013.

* DEFENCE.PK/FORUMS > CHINA MUSCLES [out] THE US IN PACIFIC.

ARTIC > SENIOR PLA COLONEL LIU MINGFU from PLA's National Defence University = CHINA to force the US out from WESTPAC widin another twenty years [Year 2030-2033/2035?], US INFLUENCE TO BE LIMITED OR CONTAINED TO EAST OF PACIFIC MID-LINE [read, HAWAII, WAKE ISLAND?].

SECURITY ANALYSTS = US FACING ITS MOST DANGEROUS STRATEGIC SECURITY CRISIS SINCE END OF THE US-SOVIET COLD WAR.

[AL "THE HELL YOU SAY" BUNDY here].

* FREEREPUBLIC > [Free Beacon] "BEAR" BOMBERS [Bear-H] OVER GUAM: RUSSIAN NUCLEAR BOMBERS CIRCLE GUAM.
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2013-02-15 23:18  

#9  I think these guys have forgotten a really basic business principle. When you run a reclusive county that deals in counterfeit cash and methamphetamines .... NEVER sample your own products BEFORE you decide your foreign policy.

That would be my take on it :-)
Posted by: Raider   2013-02-15 20:46  

#8  I would ignore (publicly)the NORKS, while keeping up intel ops. Pudgy is just yanking our chain and taking attention ahead of O, which is not hard to do. I would have NO comments, but do the quiet work.

With respect to Iran, we have pi$$ed away time when we should have been doing more sabotage to their big site for centrifuges, as well as other components of the Iranian nuke program. O has been doing the same thing as the EUnik diplos which is zero. Dithering from behind. We are in for some nasty attacks.
Posted by: Alaska Paul   2013-02-15 20:00  

#7  "Time for Taiwan, South Korea, + Japan to nuke up - hard" > "post-US", #1 wannabe China + PLA won't stand for that, spec vee historical rival Nippon, + will likely initiate major war in East Asia.

The Clock is ticking faster + louder - e.g. Nuke wannabe IRAN, the longer China = USA-Allies wait in [meritorious] deference to Diplomacy + UN-led Sanctions, the more difficult things become. IRAN IS NOW MUCH CLOSER TO DEV NUCWEAPS, NOT FARTHER.
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2013-02-15 18:30  

#6  When Bill Clinton renewed MFN for China in 1994 he echoed George Bush's assertion that "the Chinese would take more steps to improve human rights if the issue were separated from the threat of trade sanctions".

Now we see more clearly where that misguided policy is leading us and it isn't good. We tried the carrot and it isn't working. It's time for the stick.
Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305   2013-02-15 18:24  

#5  ...like the United States...
Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305   2013-02-15 18:15  

#4  They don't care if the surrounding nations are hostile as long as they are subjugated...like Tibet...like North Korea.
Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305   2013-02-15 18:14  

#3  The Chinese are purported to be so long range in their thinking and planning. Yet, the only apparent end of all this thinking and planning is to surround themselves with hostile nations.

Insrutable.
Posted by: Dopey Sinatra9196   2013-02-15 18:03  

#2  Fuck it. Time for Taiwan, South Korea and Japan to nuke up. Hard.
Posted by: Classical_Liberal   2013-02-15 17:16  

#1  Why should we talk to Pudgy, except to tell him to FOAD, when he's just a puppet? Maybe a more effective approach would be to slap some stiff, across the board tariffs on the crap we import from China. Yeah, I know that'd jack up the prices we pay for the crap but maybe then we wouldn't buy as much of it. Put the sanctions on the Chinese and then see what happens.
Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305   2013-02-15 15:41  

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