High Noon On North Korean Nuclear Weapons Program

The North Koreans, who are publically thought by the CIA to already possess one or two existing nuclear bombs, have been flying unusual and provocative long-distance sorties with their MiG-21 and MiG-23 jets over the Sea of Japan during the talks. This follows claims last week on the official North Korean KCNA news agency website that plutonium reprocessing had begun on a backlog of 8000 spent fuel rods, an action that could generate plutonium for a half-dozen additional atomic bombs in a matter of months. The claim that reprocessing had actually begun was soon retracted by minor wording modifications to the KCNA webpage in question as other news reports were published of a detailed U.S. plan to immediately bomb not only North Korea’s nuclear plant at Yongbyon but North Korean heavy artillery in range of the South Korean capital of Seoul as well if plutonium reprocessing had in fact been initiated. The commander of U.S. military forces in Japan said today that any North Korean nuclear weapon “represents a grave security threat”; Secretary of State Colin Powell saying the United States would not be intimidated by a nuclear armed North Korea and could “do whatever might be required” in face of such a threat. The movement and unexpected continued deployment of six USAF F-117A Stealth Fighters in South Korea three weeks ago was widely seen as preparing for such a immediate military attack if current talks fail. A few weeks before, two dozen US nuclear bombers were moved forward to the Pacific island of Guam in apparent preparation to take out North Korean artillery bases.
Pyongyang has repeatedly warned that a pre-emptive US military strike would result in full-scale war and has threatened to turn Seoul into a sea of fire.

Other leaked memos detail a Presidential-level discussion about removing Kim Jong II from power with China’s help despite official assurances from the US State department this is not being comtemplated. Thus the U.S. goal is to eliminate, rather than merely freeze, North Korea’s nuclear programs, immediately and by any means – diplomatic, military or political. Stay tuned.

Update [2003-4-24 2:0:17 by rickyjames]: A KCNA press release issued after Day One of these talks stated “In actuality, the situation on the Korean Peninsula is so tense that a war may break out any moment due to the US moves”.

Update [2003-4-24 12:58:18 by rickyjames]: Day Two of these talks ended hours earlier than expected and Day Three was canceled. “They [North Korea] should not leave this series of discussions that have been held in Beijing with the slightest impression that the United States and its partners, and the nations in the region, will be intimidated by bellicose statements or by threats or actions,” US Sec. of State Colin Powell said. NBC News was told by senior US officials attending the talks that North Korea admitted possessing nuclear weapons, claimed it had already begun reprocessing spent fuel rods for the plutonium they contained, threatened to boost its own nuclear arsenal size and threatened to export plutonium unless the United States agreed to direct talks. Li Gun, deputy director of American affairs for North Korea’s Foreign Ministry, pulled aside Assistant Secretary of State James A. Kelly and in effect told him: “We’ve got nukes. We can’t dismantle them. It’s up to you whether we do a physical demonstration or transfer them.” American officials are unsure whether the “physical demonstration” mentioned refers to a test, which would be North Korea’s first, or actual wartime use. One source told CNN North Korea said it would “prove” it has the weapons soon and said Gen. Li Gun, North Korea’s representative to the talks in Beijing, China, told U.S. Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly “blatantly and boldly” that the country has nuclear weapons and then asked, “Now what are you going to do about it?”