North Korea conducted its third nuclear test on Tuesday in defiance of existing U.N. resolutions

[Sledgstone 8,672]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/12/us-korea-north-idUSBRE91B04820130212

 

The North said the test had "greater explosive force" than the 2006 and 2009 tests. Its KCNA news agency said it had used a "miniaturized" and lighter nuclear device, indicating that it had again used plutonium which is more suitable for use as a missile warhead.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, the third of his line to rule the country, has presided over two long-range rocket launches and a nuclear test during his first a year in power, pursuing policies that have propelled his impoverished and malnourished country closer to becoming a nuclear weapons power.

U.S. President Barack Obama labeled the test a "highly provocative act" that hurt regional stability and he and other states that are members of U.N. Security Council pressed for new sanctions against the isolated country.

"The danger posed by North Korea's threatening activities warrants further swift and credible action by the international community. The United States will also continue to take steps necessary to defend ourselves and our allies," Obama said in a statement.

The Security Council will meet on Tuesday to discuss its reaction to the test, although North Korea is already one of the most heavily sanctioned states in the world and has few external economic links that can be targeted.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the test was a "grave threat" that could not be tolerated. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the test was a "clear and grave violation" of U.N. Security Council resolutions.

China, which has shown signs of increasing exasperation with the recent bellicose tone of its neighbor, summoned the North Korean ambassador and protested sternly, the Foreign Ministry said.

Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said China was "strongly dissatisfied and resolutely opposed" to the test and urged North Korea to "stop any rhetoric or acts that could worsen situations and return to the right course of dialogue and consultation as soon as possible."

China is a permanent member of the Security Council.

NATO condemned the test as an "irresponsible act" that posed a grave threat to world peace.

South Korea, still technically at war with the North after the 1950-53 civil war ended in a mere truce, said the size of the seismic activity indicated a nuclear explosion slightly larger than the North's two previous tests at 6-7 kilotons. The Hiroshima bomb was around 20 kilotons.

The magnitude was roughly twice as large as that of 2009, Lassina Zerbo, director of the international data centre division of the Vienna-based Comprehensive Nuclear-Test Ban Treaty Organization, said.

The U.S. Geological Survey said that a seismic event measuring 5.1 magnitude had occurred on Tuesday, with North Korea later confirming the nuclear test.

"It was confirmed that the nuclear test that was carried out at a high level in a safe and perfect manner using a miniaturized and lighter nuclear device with greater explosive force than previously did not pose any negative impact on the surrounding ecological environment," KCNA said.

Despite China's tame response, it likely to be a major embarrassment for Beijing, the North's sole major economic and diplomatic ally.

"The test is hugely insulting to China, which now can be expected to follow through with threats to impose sanctions," said Mark Fitzpatrick of the International Institute for Strategic Studies think tank.

North Korea trumpeted the announcement on its state television channel to patriotic music against the backdrop of an image of its national flag.

It linked the test to its technical prowess in launching a long-range rocket in December, a move that triggered the U.N. sanctions, backed by China, that Pyongyang said prompted it to take Tuesday's action.

 

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I think its pretty safe to say that North Korea isn't testing nuclear bombs for nuclear power, they're testing bombs and missiles as an act of power. I would say I'd doubt they'd launch against anyone in fear of a nuclear counterattack, but North Korea's government has always been crazy.

[Myk JL 1,731]

How frustrating is it to know the biggest threats to "The Free World" come from Third World Countries? If North Korea could ever launch one of those at the US then they be in a world of hurt that we'd ultimately regret.

 

Better yet China should just go nuts & claim North Korea as their own via force & leave us out of it.

[Kite 3,263]

Im pretty sure USA has anti missile defence systems years ahead of north Korea

 

Also im pretty sure every country in the world has about a dozen nukes now pointed at north korea

[DeathscytheX 9,732]

I'm sure that Iron Dome we provided to Israel is only a preview of what we have here in the states. The problem N. Korea has is that its not a terrorist group hiding in another country. 1 nuke from a superpower and the whole nation is wiped from the planet. The bigger concern here is how much they are willing to sell it to terror groups in hopes that they will use it on us. Even with an Iron Dome prevention, detonating nukes in the sky anywhere isn't ideal for the planet.

[Sledgstone 8,672]

I'm sure that Iron Dome we provided to Israel is only a preview of what we have here in the states. The problem N. Korea has is that its not a terrorist group hiding in another country. 1 nuke from a superpower and the whole nation is wiped from the planet. The bigger concern here is how much they are willing to sell it to terror groups in hopes that they will use it on us. Even with an Iron Dome prevention, detonating nukes in the sky anywhere isn't ideal for the planet.

 

I wonder if we even have an Iron Dome system in the US at all. I know there are some anti-missile defense systems in place in strategic locations but that Iron Dome system is a beastly defense for Israel with multiple interceptor missile batteries lining its border with Gaza. I've never seen any missile batteries in the US or heard anything in the news about missile defense locations. Obviously for security reasons they wouldn't be revealed to the public. I can only assume we have an even better defense system in place with interceptor missile locations in more inland locations. Considering the oceans at our coast lines we'd have more notice of incoming missiles with plenty of time to launch interceptors from a farther distance. But lets say some terrorist group is in a modified cruise ship 200 miles off our coast, opens a hatch and launches a nuke equipped to a long range missile. I don't think the US would be able to intercept it. I would hope so, but I don't really feel all that confident about that. We have a huge Navy with highly powerful capabilities with missile interception, but most of the fleet is always off in international waters not near our coast. And our Coast Guard is severely undermanned in my opinion. We have 12,383 miles of coastline for the US and only 41,873 active duty personnel and a fraction of that number in boats. About 4 people per mile not counting the miles of ocean that are US waters.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Coast_Guard

 

It wouldn't surprise me if North Korea armed a terrorist group. But if they did they'd probably say the nukes were stolen or lost because the radiological test performed after the explosion would most likely determine it was one of theirs and would result in a nuclear counter attack regardless of their claims (watch the movie "The Sum of All Fears" for info on that.).

[DeathscytheX 9,732]

I typed out a big long response, and I accidentally changed pages and lost is so I don't feel like typing it out again. Basically the gist of it was that I doubt we know half of what the US military has. Every war we fight there seems to be all this new tech never seen before. The Nuke was a revolutionary weapon that was used with much regret. You can't just go in throwing all your trump cards with flying saucers and energy beams from space because everyone will know you have it and try to hack, spy, and sabotage your stuff. Who knows what we've launched up into space? Flying saucers sounds funny, but the US military has tried to build them before.

[Sledgstone 8,672]

I wouldn't be surprised if instead of missile batteries, we have laser turrets. They could be placed anywhere inland with line of sight and upon detection of a target incoming missile there would be no need to calculate the time needed for an interceptor missile launch and all the variables involved. Instead, a laser designates the target, and sends a pulse of energy to blast it out of the sky. I say inland and not sky based, because I think many nations would raise some serious issues against the US if we had satellites in space equipped with high powered laser weapons floating over their countries.

[DeathscytheX 9,732]

The navy or coast guard has lasers now that can burn up boat engines that the drug cartels try to smuggle in their packages with. I saw a video on it a year ago, pretty wild stuff. The motor just busts into flames

[Pchan 5,162]

I don't hate North Korea, they have really good K~Pop and cuisine.