North Korea, poop, pop, or pouch?

Did North Korea really test a nuclear bomb, and if so was it a small bomb, or was it a small portable nuclear device? PoliPundit says, "This “small test” was simply an advertisment to buyers that North Korea has a viable nuclear device. Buyers would never purchase a device that “works” on paper. They want a device that the world verifies."

We still don't know for sure that North Korea actually tested a nuclear bomb. No radiation has been detected so far. DefenseTech, via Instapupndit, says: "IT'S A DUD: "No one has ever dudded their first test of a simple fission device. North Korean nuclear scientists are now officially the worst ever. . . . I'd say someone with no workable nuclear weapons (Kim Jong Il, I am looking at you) should be crapping his pants right now. First the missile, then the bomb. Got anything else you wanna try out there, chief?"

The thing was 10 feet long, weighed 4 tons, massively heavy, and the explosion was only from abut 550 to 1000 comparable tons of TNT. In other words, less than a single kiloton. The Little Boy bomb dropped on Hiroshima in WWII weighed almost 9 tons and was a 15 kiloton blast.

This means one of two things. Either the device malfunctioned and went poop instead of pop, or the explosion was nothing more than conventional explosives. The explosion took place in an abandoned coal mine and there was no detectable leakage of radioactivity, which supports the real possibility that this was a fake nuke. Islamanazi

Speed of Thought doesn't believe it was a nuclear test and has the graph to prove it:

I don't believe them at this point. Why? Because this is a seismogram from South Korea and there should be activity in the box I've drawn:

Powerline is "of the view that this is a reactionary, status quo preserving power (in the tradition of the Soviet Union in its latter stages) with no interest in using nukes or even being much of an aggressor."

According to Steven den Beste, a Plutonium-239 bomb is much more likely to fizzle if not built properly than a Uranium-235 bomb. The only reason to try building a P-239 bomb is that it is easier to produce the fissile material. Iran is trying to produce U-235 because a bomb made from it is easier to build and weaponize. But U-235 is a stone bitch to produce and we don’t know if they have succeeded yet. --Random Numbers

North Korea's little demonstration is at least bringing some countries together. "Japan and China have put aside differences to have summit on how to deal with N.Korea, but seem at odds on the approach: Japan has aligned itself with the US in demanding tough sanctions against Pyongyang while Beijing prefers to talk negotiations and concessions." -- Red Hot Cuppa Politics

The threat of a nuclear Japan has even greater implications for China than North Korea. Therefore China can not let the situation with North Korea get out of hand. Expect them to join the US and Great Britain in placing strong sanctions on the Kim regime.

The sanctions against North Korea are likely to hurt the people more than it hurts Kim Jong Il’s regime. -- The Right State

We cannot have a world event in the news without making it political. Apparently Coki Roberts is reporting how this will help the Republicans and President Bush and take away the momentum the Democrats had from Foley-gate.

What will the United States do in response to North Korea's test? I'm not hearing anything except 'sanctions' and the useless United Nations. "The only other option is for the United States to extend its nuclear umbrella to cover both countries by clearly annunciating a policy of nuclear retaliation for any attack by North Korea on their neighbors.", according to Right Wing Nuthouse

Some folks are laughing at the situation (to keep from crying I assume), like New Sisyphus who has this conversation in his head:

The North Koreans, the Iranians and Islamists everywhere no doubt had their own laughs when Bush issued his threats. I can hear them now.

"What are they going to do? Adopt us? Build us schools?" Hahahahahaha!

"Oooo maybe they'll hold 14 of our guys at a POW camp and everyone will hate them for it!" Hahahahahhaha!

"Maybe they'll drop some more "tomahawk" missiles!" Hahahaha! [snip]

Who the hell elected Bush to represent the "international community," whatever that is? And who the hell is he to say they will respond, again assuming that such a thing exists?

His point is what I said yesterday, the United States and the West no longer have a big stick, they no longer carry any weight nor do they put fear in the hearts of their enemies. We hold no cards and most Americans know it.

The blame game has started, with at least one writer blaming Russia and China, "First, this is not the result of any failure by the Bush Administration or the Clinton Administration or any other administration since Truman’s. The Russians and Chinese have allowed Kim Jong Il, like his father before him, to operate a society that is so perverse that it makes ‘1984′ seem rather utopian." Mark Rogers via Volunteer Voters

Toasted Bread has information on the cruelty of North Korea, their concentration camps, torture and execution of innocents. Blah Blah Blog has information on the torture and even canibalism the prisoners are subjected to.

The Wide Awake Cafe has a cute photo of little Kim.

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Linked with
Woman Honor Thyself, Mazel ToV NorkS!
Toasted Bread, UN Security Council approves Ban Ki-Moon as Next UN Secretary General
Stander's Point, Russian To Judgment: Bullets in One Hand, A Bullhorn in The Other

Comments

[shlemazl]

It's unlikely to be a "dud". The most difficult thing is to get plutonium or enriched U and N Koreans managed that alright.

Seems plausible that they tested the "booster" - first phase of the N bomb.

[Angel]

Hiya Debbie..will link to this...excellent read!.:)