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Blast, Mushroom Cloud Reported in N. Korea
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| DaveSZ |
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tm...osion&e=1&ncid=
Blast, Mushroom Cloud Reported in N. Korea
1 hour, 12 minutes ago
By CHRISTOPHER TORCHIA, Associated Press Writer
SEOUL, South Korea - A large explosion occurred in the northern part of North Korea (news - web sites), sending a huge mushroom cloud into the air on an important anniversary of the communist regime, a South Korean news agency reported Sunday.
The Yonhap news agency, citing an unidentified source in Beijing, said the explosion happened Thursday in Yanggang province near the border with China. The explosion in Kim Hyong Jik county blasted a crater big enough to be noticed by a satellite, the source said.
"We understand that a mushroom-shaped cloud about 3.5 to 4 kilometers (about 2-2 1/2 miles) in diameter was monitored during the explosion," Yonhap quoted an unidentified diplomatic source in Seoul as saying.
North Korea was founded Sept. 9, 1948. Leader Kim Jong Il uses the occasion to stage performances and other events to bolster loyalty among the impoverished North Korean population.
Experts have speculated that North Korea might use a major anniversary to conduct a nuclear-related test, though there was no immediate indication that Thursday's reported explosion was linked to Pyongyang's efforts to develop nuclear weapons.
Kim Hyong Jik is reported to hold a major missile base. North Korea, which has a large missile arsenal and more than 1 million soldiers, is dotted with military installations.
South Korea (news - web sites)'s Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said Sunday the government was in the process of confirming reports there were signs of an explosion in North Korea.
"I am not aware of details such as the size of the damage," he was quoted as saying by Yonhap after a National Security Council meeting.
On Saturday, North Korea said recent revelations that South Korea conducted secret nuclear experiments involving uranium and plutonium made the communist state more determined to pursue its own atomic programs.
The South Korean experiments, conducted in 1982 and 2000, were likely to further complicate the already stalled six-nation talks aimed at dismantling the North's nuclear development. South Korea has said the experiments were purely for research and did not reflect a desire to develop weapons.
On April 22, train wagons at a railway station exploded in the North Korean town of Ryongchon, killing 160 people and injuring an estimated 1,300, according to some estimates. The blast was believed to have been sparked by a train laden with oil and chemicals that hit power lines.
The source in the Yonhap report said Thursday's explosion reportedly was bigger than the train explosion. |
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| Trancer-X |
| quote: | Originally posted by DaveSZ
Blast, Mushroom Cloud Reported in N. Korea
(...)
"We understand that a mushroom-shaped cloud about 3.5 to 4 kilometers (about 2-2 1/2 miles) in diameter was monitored during the explosion," Yonhap quoted an unidentified diplomatic source in Seoul as saying.
(...)
Kim Hyong Jik is reported to hold a major missile base. North Korea, which has a large missile arsenal and more than 1 million soldiers, is dotted with military installations. |
Now, THAT is the country we should be worried about.
The war in Iraq would be nothing in comparison to what would happen if we went to war with N. Korea! |
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| Q5echo |
don't believe the hype when you here reports later that downplay the situation.
your gonna hear reports that it was a forest fire or something of that nature, like "we're not sure what it was". don't believe it.
we know exactly what it was or wasn't.
there are so many imagery and other satellite assets over that region it's mind boggling.
you couldn't light a bottle rocket in that country and it not be picked up. |
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| DrUg_Tit0 |
| There was a time when I would believe the US administration that it was not a nue, but considering their dishonesty regarding the Iraq war...well, I'm not sure it was something irrelevant as they claim. A forest fire, they say. Forest fires don't start up with huge explosions, that's for sure. |
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| Q5echo |
its dishonesty that is not treaturous, or nefarious in nature but in a way that does not gain a sort of sensational or circus type atmosphere that could not be controlled. in a wierd way it wouldn't matter really what administration would be in office to seem dishonest when it comes to dealing with rogue nuclear states because essentially the Pentagon is the one that is most experience dealing with these situations and already have plans and protocol in place. i'm not saying they are running the show but it behouves the president to follow their recomendations.
the powers that be take these things very very seriously and need to be able to focus all assets needed to monitor and protect the situation. these are plans and contingencies left over from the cold war. what they feel is not needed is outside pressure that they are unable to control whatever that may be.
right know N.Korea, isolated and branded as a rogue nuclear state, is all they feel we need to know. anyhing we know more than that would be a distraction until there is an escalation of the situation that would warrant it.
no need to upset the kids as of yet. |
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| speedracer_mec |
This is horse.
Quite frankly the Bush administration are idiots if they are lieing to the public about this crap. Iran is being defiant and developing nuclear weapons right now under our noses and having plenty of them by next year; and N.Korea testing bombs with everyone in the region except China calling foul....I'm having my doubts on many things.
When you have a giant mushroom cloud visible from space near the border of Big Brother China and Lil Brother N.Korea..you know something is cooking,
I have to say Colin Powell is a jackass for calling this event, "a mystery".....If you are going to rule out a nuclear weapons test...at least have a reason to explain what the hell it is to the general public.
If we can hear chatter from islamic terrorists through our intelligence.......why does our viewing capabilities fail?
the blast was also located 40-60 miles from the taepo-dong-2 icbm base!
real WMD`s in KOREA...NO WAY!!!
The US is denying that is was nuclear. Hmm... I figured Bush would've jumped at the chance to start another war...but I guess he will clean N.Korea up after the election...
/end of unbias rant |
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| Q5echo |
easy killer.
this must remain at the lowest level possible i.e. no world-wide media circus freak show that would bring unneeded pressure and scare tactics from a bagillion different directions.
the Pentagon is very experienced with this and are taking plays out of the old cold war book of protocol.
if it was in fact a nuke, all it does is confirm what we already know. nothing has changed aside from the fact that they are less one more nuke. thats all. and to get everyone all riled-up over that is not wise. |
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| DrUg_Tit0 |
I kinda disagree with the secretive approach. I don't see how a factual report would cause widespread panic. When Soviet Union built its first nuke, there wasn't any massive hysteria. Besides, the US is not the only country in the world. If North Korea was to launch a nuke and the US decided to keep it secret, some other country would let that news go public.
Anyway, supposedly it was an explosion on a hydroelectric dam. If it was really a nuke, I'd suppose North Koreans would brag about it on every news channel 5 minutes after the explosion. |
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| DaveSZ |
Nothing to see here!
Only you can prevent forest fires!
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| smokeape |
Only downside I see is that the mushroom cloud wasn't over Pyongyang!!!
Friggin' Kim junior is a total ing idiot who needs to share the cell with Saddam so they can be butt buddies!
:p
[[[smoke]]] |
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