

North Korea Working With Uranium at Vast New Plant - talbina
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/21/world/asia/21intel.html?_r=1&hp

======
talbina
"American officials know that the plant did not exist in April 2009, when the
last Americans and international inspectors were thrown out of the country.
The speed with which it was built strongly suggests that the impoverished,
isolated country, which tested its first nuclear device in 2006, had foreign
help and evaded strict new United Nations Security Council sanctions imposed
to punish its rejection of international controls. "

~~~
joezydeco
Do you think they're using Siemens controllers on those centrifuges?

~~~
raquo
Makes me rethink the purpose of Stuxnet.

------
radicaldreamer
It wasn't "discovered", the North Koreans showed it to a visiting nuclear
scientist, who would know exactly what he's being shown. It's probably a
negotiating tactic for more hard currency/aid for the regime.

------
mike_esspe
This looks like North Korea is starting the next crisis, expecting aid in
exchange for stopping their actions.

Some explanation about previous crisis:
<http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Korea/KK12Dg01.html>

------
ck2
Sigh, so when are we sending kids to die in North Korea?

Because North Korea doesn't even have the electric infrastructure or
appliances to explain that development for a power plant.

This is all going to end very badly.

~~~
electromagnetic
If they built this facility in a year and a half, building infrastructure
won't be a problem - at least for them to claim.

I doubt many kids will die in North Korea. They've already demonstrated a
nuclear or near-nuclear (IE it fissled rather than popped) capability. With
this facility, if they've been producing for a while then they're fully-
nuclear for sure and could be striving for thermonuclear.

I seriously doubt the intelligence of our leaders, but I'm sure there'll be a
military coup before actual soldiers land in NK while nukes are potentially
still present.

With the way North Korea is going I wouldn't doubt their government putting
nukes inside their major cities.

~~~
ck2
Have you seen the North Korea vs South Korea at night photo?

<http://i.imgur.com/IsWh1.jpg>

All the resources are going into their war machine.

If could/would build infrastructure, it would have been done long ago.

There won't be a coup, they are all brainwashed.

~~~
runjake
This is some sort of doctored photo.

Here is an actual photo from a reputable source:
[http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/world/dprk/images/dprk-
dms...](http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/world/dprk/images/dprk-dmsp-
dark.jpg)

~~~
julianz
Agreed that the other photo is dodgy, but there's not actually _that_ much
difference between it and yours. North Korea at night is largely dark, either
way.

~~~
runjake
The photo you posted indicates only one metropolitan area (Pyongyang). In the
GlobalSecurity photo, there are several metros lit up (one speck of light from
space is considerable amount of people).

~~~
varjag
The photos can be dramatically different depending on year or a time of day.
Street lighting in DPRK is not organic or municipal, and they often have been
short on energy.

------
iwr
Nuclear weapons are just invasion insurance policy. Also, useful bargaining
chips in exchange for foreign aid.

The solution would be just to halt all foreign aid and sign a peace treaty, or
remove all options, including the nuclear one, from the table. This would give
the NK leaders no foreign enemies, perhaps leaving lower ranked party members
seeking to overthrow them.

~~~
Jach
I don't exactly agree with you, but I'm curious why you were downvoted. Isn't
anyone else sick of buying off these troublesome countries with aid and arms?
Just look at the Israel situation, the US is offering them 20 stealth
warplanes, free of charge (among other things), just so they stop building in
the West Bank for 90 days.

~~~
ars
So your definition of troublesome is "doesn't do what I want"?

If you want someone to do something you need to convince them, and incentives
is one way. I suppose force is another.

You may think Israel should stop building, but Israel doesn't think so. I
don't see any reason your opinion counts for more.

------
tjmc
Question for those with a bit more strategic policy knowledge than myself -
what's wrong with just taking the "spoiled child" policy of ignoring them
completely?

Seems to me the latest round of crisis talks is just the attention they were
looking for. A public yawn in their direction seems more appropriate.

