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2009-05-25 China-Japan-Koreas
N. Korea appears to have conducted second nuclear test
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Posted by Seafarious 2009-05-25 00:00|| E-Mail|| Front Page|| [11138 views ]  Top

#1 I suppose we now get to see what color panties Obama is wearing. My bet is on yellow.
Posted by Gerthudion Flereth4851 2009-05-25 00:36||   2009-05-25 00:36|| Front Page Top

#2 I am sure that CHINESE LAPDOG chose Memorial Day on purpose for the test - to make his point of Death to the US.
Posted by 3dc 2009-05-25 01:21||   2009-05-25 01:21|| Front Page Top

#3 I saw a report that there were Iranian observers for this test...
Posted by Seafarious 2009-05-25 01:26||   2009-05-25 01:26|| Front Page Top

#4 Seafarious: Paging Benny...
Posted by 3dc 2009-05-25 01:30||   2009-05-25 01:30|| Front Page Top

#5 Obama is going to regret his weakness. So are we.

Events are in motion ...
Posted by Steve White 2009-05-25 01:49||   2009-05-25 01:49|| Front Page Top

#6 Events are in motion ...
That phrase is making me feel very uneasy.
Posted by Gladys 2009-05-25 03:18||   2009-05-25 03:18|| Front Page Top

#7 
Posted by Angainter Henbane8436 2009-05-25 03:26||   2009-05-25 03:26|| Front Page Top

#8 I wonder if Nobama is going to actually do something or resort to citing court decisions. Again.

OK, actually I don't wonder.
Posted by gorb 2009-05-25 06:12||   2009-05-25 06:12|| Front Page Top

#9 Governments Urge Security Council Action... International community condemns North Korea nuclear test... possible tighter sanctions... matter of grave concern... pattern of escalating belligerence...

Blah blah blah, yadda yadda yadda...
Posted by Parabellum 2009-05-25 07:16|| http://sidemeat.wordpress.com/]">[http://sidemeat.wordpress.com/]  2009-05-25 07:16|| Front Page Top

#10 Within 50 years, I predict Korea will be China again, the hermit kingdom will be speaking Chinese in schools again, and Russia and Japan are going to feel very defensive.
Posted by Girlthursday 2009-05-25 08:34||   2009-05-25 08:34|| Front Page Top

#11 I wonder if Nobama is going to actually do something or resort to citing court decisions. Again.

I think the only thing we can be absolutely sure of is the whining weasel will remind us this is all because of W's 'terrible policies'. Again.
Posted by Zorba 2009-05-25 08:53||   2009-05-25 08:53|| Front Page Top

#12 Send Me!
Posted by Strongly Worded Letter 2009-05-25 08:56||   2009-05-25 08:56|| Front Page Top

#13 Zorba hit the nail on the head.
Posted by Hellfish 2009-05-25 09:03||   2009-05-25 09:03|| Front Page Top

#14 "I wonder if Nobama is going to actually do something." He will express his deep concern and disappointment. The norks will get more food, fuel, and prestige (iow same shit different day). I just wonder how long the South Korea will stand by?
Posted by Cyber Sarge 2009-05-25 09:34||   2009-05-25 09:34|| Front Page Top

#15 From the Nypost:

The US is gravely concerned by North Korea's claim to have tested a nuclear device, is still analyzing the data and is consulting members of the UN Security Council on next steps, a State Department official said.

It seems that Sarge and Parabellum made the right guess!
Posted by Willy 2009-05-25 09:57||   2009-05-25 09:57|| Front Page Top

#16 "mark my words, people are gonna try things, and we will ineffectually bleat and let them walk on us"

/Sheriff Joe Biden
Posted by Frank G">Frank G  2009-05-25 09:58||   2009-05-25 09:58|| Front Page Top

#17 LOL @strongly worded letter. it took me minute too figure that one out
Posted by funky skunk 2009-05-25 10:18||   2009-05-25 10:18|| Front Page Top

#18 good thing Nancy McBotox is over in China right now. She'll set things right
Posted by Frank G">Frank G  2009-05-25 10:48||   2009-05-25 10:48|| Front Page Top

#19 Doubt it Frank - she doesn't have Halfbright's magic broach.

It'll be interesting to see how Japan and South Korea will react to this.

Or will Obambi 'forbid' them from doing anything? I've already heard he wants to go to the 'international community' first. Looks like you might get your chance once again Strongly Worded Letter.
Posted by CrazyFool 2009-05-25 11:21||   2009-05-25 11:21|| Front Page Top

#20 The real issue here is what was the yield? The Rooskies say upto 20 ktons, but they overestimated the 2006 test which appears to have been a "fizzle" (core materials didn't come together quickly enough). If this test was successful it bodes very dark especially if the Iranians were present. The horse may be out of the barn and the barn doesn't even have doors.
Posted by Spot 2009-05-25 11:22||   2009-05-25 11:22|| Front Page Top

#21 The U.S. Geological Survey registered seismic activity in northeastern North Korea at 9:54 a.m. (0054 GMT), which it initially identified as a 4.7-magnitude earthquake.

If that holds, that should correspond to a 1-2 kiloton explosion. Another fizzle, but stronger than the last test.
Posted by ed 2009-05-25 12:54||   2009-05-25 12:54|| Front Page Top

#22 From NukeWars:

Full text of NKorea statement on nuclear test
The following is the full text of the report released Monday by Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) after what the North said was its second nuclear weapons test:

"The Democratic People's Republic of Korea successfully conducted one more underground nuclear test on May 25 as part of the measures to bolster up its nuclear deterrent for self-defence in every way as requested by its scientists and technicians.

"The current nuclear test was safely conducted on a new higher level in terms of its explosive power and technology of its control and the results of the test helped satisfactorily settle the scientific and technological problems arising in further increasing the power of nuclear weapons and steadily developing nuclear technology.

"The successful nuclear test is greatly inspiring the army and people of the DPRK all out in the 150-day campaign, intensifying the drive for effecting a new revolutionary surge to open the gate to a thriving nation.

"The test will contribute to defending the sovereignty of the country and the nation and socialism and ensuring peace and security on the Korean Peninsula and the region around it with the might of Songun."
Posted by 3dc 2009-05-25 12:56||   2009-05-25 12:56|| Front Page Top

#23 Debka: Israel to drill missile attack from many directions
Deputy defense minister Matan Vilnai outlined the nationwide civil defense exercise to be staged next week in a briefing to the Knesset foreign affairs and security committee Monday, May 25. Next Tuesday, he said, sirens would send the entire population heading for the nearest shelters or protected sites.

Vilnai explained that the exercise was configured on the presumption of a missile assault from three or four directions synchronized with large-scale terrorist attacks up and down the country. He stressed that this was no fantastic scenario divorced from reality but highly credible in the event of a war.

Drills conducted in the last two years and the lessons of the 2006 Lebanon war and 209 Gaza conflict had been factored into the coming exercise, said the deputy minister. In both, Israel's population had come under heavy missile bombardment.

Upgraded "gas masks" would be redistributed to the population later this year.
Posted by 3dc 2009-05-25 13:00||   2009-05-25 13:00|| Front Page Top

#24 Might be about time for the Japanese to conduct a "test".

I'd like to take this opportunity to once again denounce our government for its China policy. In the past several decades both Republican and Democrat administrations have pretended that we can peacefully engage the Chinese, trade with them and act as though they are peace loving, trustworthy folk. The people in the Chinese communist government are most certainly not peace loving, trustworthy folks. They are pragmatic, calculating, deceitful, evil bastards. They conquered Tibet, set their sites on Taiwan, make trouble in Nepal, make trouble in India, oppress their own people, export WMD technology to Pakistan and now they have encouraged Kimmie in this latest threat to their neighbors and to us. We have compromised our economic system and compromised our national security in the name of profits. The fact that a representative of our government in now in China kissing their asses is a bizarre abomination. It makes me sick. It seriously pisses me off.
Posted by Abu Uluque 2009-05-25 14:14||   2009-05-25 14:14|| Front Page Top

#25 "It is being reported that North Korea gave warning of an imminent test to the US less than an hour before it happened."

Interresting to say the least. Could anyone confirm if this is standard operating procedure?


Posted by Spairong Lumumba1031 2009-05-25 15:07||   2009-05-25 15:07|| Front Page Top

#26 It will take a couple of days until degassing occurs and we have a reading of the type of radioactive stuff that was released. Probably Uranium 235, not plutonium.
Posted by Lord garth 2009-05-25 16:02||   2009-05-25 16:02|| Front Page Top

#27 from Arms Control Wonk



The plot is based on the Mb to yield estimates for dry-rock, close coupled, underground nuclear explosions. I’ve used the USGS estimate for the yield calculation. The graph can only be used as a general indication because the exact geological conditions of the area is not known. It is known to have a shallow water table, which could explain why the Russians always get their yield calculations on the high end. We also don’t know how well this test was coupled to the rock.
Posted by john frum 2009-05-25 16:14||   2009-05-25 16:14|| Front Page Top

#28 
Update: The Project for the CTBT has a calculation from Martin Kalinowski:

The U.S. Geological Survey readings indicate a seismic body wave of magnitude of 4.7, which is larger as compared to the value of 4.1±0.1 in 2006. According a preliminary assessment by Martin Kalinowski of the University of Hamburg, this corresponds to an explosive yield of about 3 to 8 kilotons TNT equivalent with a most likely yield of 4 kt. In 2006. The yield of the 2006 test explosion was approximately 0.5 to 0.8 kt TNT equivalent.

Posted by john frum 2009-05-25 16:22||   2009-05-25 16:22|| Front Page Top

#29 "When will we see an accounting of the Bush Obama failures whith regard to North Korea." How many times have we heard that one? But I bet Obama will make peace in the Middle East, just like Dimmy Carter.
Posted by Cyber Sarge 2009-05-25 16:24||   2009-05-25 16:24|| Front Page Top

#30 FYI Nancy and John Kerry are in Shanghai.
Posted by Cyber Sarge 2009-05-25 16:34||   2009-05-25 16:34|| Front Page Top

#31 No pressure on North Korea will work.
The target must be Beijing
Posted by European Conservative 2009-05-25 16:35||   2009-05-25 16:35|| Front Page Top

#32 To clsrify:

"... any nuclear missile launched from Cuba against any nation in the Western Hemisphere is an attack by the Soviet Union on the US, requiring a full retaliatory response against the Soviet Union."

Now replace Cuba by North Korea and Soviet Union by China.

THIS will get their attention

Posted by European Conservative 2009-05-25 16:39||   2009-05-25 16:39|| Front Page Top

#33 Not sure if that would be effective either. With the current crop in the WH and Congress - they will probably want to schedule a UN Security Council meeting in response to a full-scale first-strike launch by China or Russia.
Posted by CrazyFool 2009-05-25 17:00||   2009-05-25 17:00|| Front Page Top

#34 100ft below what used to be the UN Building
Posted by European Conservative 2009-05-25 17:15||   2009-05-25 17:15|| Front Page Top

#35 Quick. Pass cap & trade!!!
Posted by Iblis 2009-05-25 17:40||   2009-05-25 17:40|| Front Page Top

#36 NO worries about North Korea they are already Marxist and socialist; right where Obama wants them.

I am sure a firm handshake and a book exchange will break the ice with the Norks.
Posted by airandee 2009-05-25 18:15||   2009-05-25 18:15|| Front Page Top

#37 Data is all over the place, esp wrt the 2006 test. USGS has: The shallow, magnitude 4.7 seismic event that occurred on 25 May 2009 at 00:54:43 UTC is linked to the claim of a nuclear test by North Korean officials. While the USGS cannot positively identify the seismic event as a nuclear test, it was shallow and located in the vicinity of the 9 October 2006 North Korean nuclear test (magnitude 4.3). Moreover, comparisons of the seismograms of the 9 October 2006 and 25 May 2009 events at individual seismic stations shows similar features, suggesting that the two events are in close spatial proximity and are the same type of source, although the more recent event is larger.

That implies an explosion 2.5X the strength of the 2006 test, often given as 550 tons TNT.
Posted by ed 2009-05-25 18:16||   2009-05-25 18:16|| Front Page Top

#38 Caught only a passing segment, + could be mistaken, but I believe CNN NEWS Babe this AM was desribing how NOKOR nuke test back in 2006 appeared to had caused a series of regional quakes which was not discerned until this test.

IOW, NOKOR > NOT ONLY A NUCWEAPON BUT ALSO A "QUAKE/GEOLOGIC WEAPON"???

* Compare wid OLD DREAMS/VISIONS e.g. GUAM TAOTAMONAS > KEY PACIFIC ISLANDS in future conflict being intentionally destroyed by nucweaps in order to deny to an enemy ["MIL/AREA DENIAL"]???

[shaking PAN-KOREAN "SPICY SQUID" fists angrily].
Posted by JosephMendiola 2009-05-25 18:46||   2009-05-25 18:46|| Front Page Top

#39 I thought that was Halliburton?
Posted by European Conservative 2009-05-25 19:11||   2009-05-25 19:11|| Front Page Top

#40 Prediction: The Norks decided to stop fooling around with plutonium and built a uranium bomb, which they pretty much couldn't screw up.

Posted by Angie Schultz 2009-05-25 21:14||   2009-05-25 21:14|| Front Page Top

#41 NOKOR's test now appears to had been of 10-20 Kiloton estimated magnitude [subject to change], as based on analysis of datums from USGS regional monitoring sta.

* As for ISRAEL, ISRAELI MIL FORUM > ISRAEL WILL FACE [simultaneous] TERROR, MISSLES IN FUTURE WAR.

POSTER > opined that IHO Israel is far better prepared than the USA for any TERROR-MISSLE WAR COMBO/SCENARIO becuz:
(1) Israel has 00's of BMD Interceptors aimed for wide multi front(s), whereas the USA, USSA = USR, only has approxi 12 ea. = DOZEN aimed on one front [East Asia = NOKOR vee FORT GREELY Alaska];
(2) ISRAEL HAS A HIGHLY SECURED, CLOSED = PROTECTED BORDER WHILST THE USA HAS EXTREMELY POROUS BORDERS [Mexico] WITH STILL-LIMITED/MINIMA BORDER SECURITY;
(3) ISRAELI ARE AND HAVE BEEN PSYCHOLOGICALLY AND SOCIETALLY PREPPED FOR THESE KINDS OF SITUATIONS, whilst mainstream America = Amerika is not and was not.

The day is slwoly but steadily looming when the USA will also face such a scenario.
Posted by JosephMendiola 2009-05-25 21:56||   2009-05-25 21:56|| Front Page Top

23:49 Thing From Snowy Mountain
23:45 tu3031
23:18 Frank G
22:29 crosspatch
22:22 AzCat
22:19 Thing From Snowy Mountain
22:07 CrazyFool
22:02 JosephMendiola
22:02 JosephMendiola
21:56 JosephMendiola
21:39 Redneck Jim
21:28 Frank G
21:14 Angie Schultz
21:11 Thing From Snowy Mountain
21:03 maxx0101
20:50 Tom
20:44 GirlThursday
20:43 Frank G
20:02 746
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19:47 Frank G
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19:31 mom
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