paloalto on 10/10/2006 at 03:06
By long fabled your including antimissile missiles with energy weapons.You really can't lump them together.
Aerothorn on 10/10/2006 at 03:34
Good for North Korea, I say. I mean, everyone else has nukes, and keep threatening to take military action against them. North Korea doesn't want to get nuked. So they gotta get nukes themselves. At least they're testing it on their own land (which is not to say I think nuclear testing is okay - about as bad environmentally as you can get).
That said, having nukes and having ICBMs are very different things.
Still, the problem is more one of alliances - I'm pretty sure the USA is still theoretically in charge of South Korea's defense, just as South Korea is still at war with North Korea. North Korea attack, US gets involves, bad for everyone. Most of all North Korea, though, so if they have the slightest shred of self-preservation instincts they won't try it.
PeeperStorm on 10/10/2006 at 03:46
Has there been verification that it was a nuclear test? Il is just wacky enough that he might set off a really big conventional explosion underground, and then claim that it was a nuke just to get international attention.
Ultraviolet on 10/10/2006 at 06:04
Quote Posted by demagogue
emboldened
Emboldened?
Turtle on 10/10/2006 at 06:26
He meant, of course, <i>embiggened</i>.
Uncia on 10/10/2006 at 06:38
Quote Posted by Ultraviolet
Emboldened?<p></p>
duckman on 10/10/2006 at 06:51
There's several things I'd like to comment on:
1) Does NK have the resources to make nuclear weapons that are deliverable outside it's boarders? I think so. Some people say NK doesn't have the "resources" available, but unlike other nuclear powers, NK is obviously using a lot more resources to military power rather than schools, health, police, fire-fighters, roads, UI ect ect. I base this on the CNN reports I've seen about NKs economy and the leaked footage from that guy with the camera in the bag.
2) Will NK ever launch a nuke? I think it is fairly possible. I honestly didn't even think they'd end up getting a nuke, and obviously their liars because the hole time they've been saying it's for use of nuclear power. However I do not think that NK will be launching it at a far off target like the USA because of the tremendous distance between the too. I think the most possible damage NK could do, would be to launch it at Russia, and have Russia launch their nukes, and then the US and visa versa. However this sounds more like a doomsday theory from Terminator rather than something that would happen in reality, I doubt Russia would launch their nukes if one came from NK's direction. However one thing I am fairly certain of, if NK was to launch some nukes outside of it's borders, you can bet that the USA will bomb the crap out of NK. They don't have those nuclear subs positioned all over for no reason.
Quote Posted by PeeperStorm
Has there been verification that it was a nuclear test? Il is just wacky enough that he might set off a really big conventional explosion underground, and then
claim that it was a nuke just to get international attention.
Last I heard they were using sweeper jets to collect samples of air above the testing zone to see what residues were left over so they can get a positive report on what substances were used in the explosion.
Quote Posted by Aerothorn
Good for North Korea, I say. I mean, everyone else has nukes, and keep threatening to take military action against them.
If I'm not mistaken, there is only 9 nuclear powers in the world?
Personally I would be most interested to see what China does in all of this. If NK was to invade SK would China take action? Is China going to take action right now? I'm interested because China has a reputation for being "ruthless" and they do have the 2nd largest military power in the world I belive.
Gingerbread Man on 10/10/2006 at 07:08
Quote Posted by duckman
If I'm not mistaken, there is only 9 nuclear powers in the world?
Eight now -- unless you believe Israel has nuclear weapons, in which case North Korea would make nine, yes.
Iran and Saudi Arabia are suspected of being very close to having nuclear weapons (or at least, determined to make them and no one really knows if they are or not), South Africa used to, and about 14 other countries have, over the years, pursued the research.
Pyrian on 10/10/2006 at 08:14
Quote Posted by paloalto
By long fabled your including antimissile missiles with energy weapons.You really can't lump them together.
Watch me. :laff:
Frankly, I think it's more ridiculous to lump "energy weapons" together as a category than the various ballistic-missile-destruction schemes, none of which have ever been shown to work reliably.
scumble on 10/10/2006 at 08:27
Quote Posted by Paz
...halfbaked ideas.
In many cases, they haven't even been kneaded.