North Korea has accumulated 80% of its plutonium since Bush took over

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.suntimes.com/news/world/89305,cst-nws-nknuke09.article

<snip>HISTORY: North Korea is believed to have been accumulating plutonium for a bomb since the mid-1980s. It froze the program in 1994 as part of an agreement with the United States. Since the breakdown of that agreement in late 2002, North Korea is believed to have ramped up production.

Some experts estimate that at least 80 percent of the country's stockpile of 44 to 116 pounds of refined plutonium was processed since the end of the freeze in 2002.

Without another agreement, North Korea is forecast to boost its stockpile to 160 pounds by 2008 -- enough to build between eight and 17 bombs.

[madrchsod]

1. just heard on npr-----

the koreans decided they needed the bomb after georgy included them in the axis of evil and then invaded iraq. they figured they were next so they accelerated their program...another foreign policy disaster for the bush legacy

[blm]

6. It was brought up in two debates. Kerry eviscerated Bush over it and media

ignored the entire issue as if it never happened.

[krkaufman]

8. And Iran *had* a democracy movement, before Bush's invasion, as well

Bush's Iranian madman, Ahmadinejad, wasn't even mayor of Tehran before Bush's ramp-up to war with Iraq. Ahmadinejad -- like Hamas in the Occupied Territories and Hezbollah in Lebanon -- is a reaction to American aggression in the region. The Iranian democracy movement has been marginalized due to Bush's imperialism.

[Buzz Clik]

2. Here's a chronology of NK's nuke program. Starts in 1962

http://www.wisconsinproject.org/countries/nkorea/nuke-miss-chron.htm

[roamer65]

3. But it still will be Clinton's fault...

Rethuglicans never accept responsibility or blame. 9/11 happened under Raisinbrain's watch, but it was Clinton's fault. NK explodes a nuke, and this will be Clinton's fault. Rethugs play like a broken record. Clinton, Clinton, Clinton...

[DaDeacon]

4. A co-worker already told me that! it's just sad.

[erpowers]

5. Bush Policy Wrong

I am one of those people who hopes this will finally show the Bush supporters and the Bush Administration that the policy of going to war with any and every country that has not attacked the United States is a bad policy. When Bush launched the Iraq war many of his supporters claimed that the war would scare countries like North Korea and Iran to submit to the rules laid out by Bush. This should be their final wakeup call. The war has had the exact opposite effect that the Bush Administration wanted it to have; it has caused some countries to become more belligerent.

[goforit]

7. After destroying the CIA this is inevitable

[Ferret Annica]

9. This should be impressed on the people of the U.S.

Since the Smirk and Snarl show started, North Korea has restarted its nuclear reactor and increased its stock of weapons-grade plutonium. North Korea's test could also unleash a nuclear arms race in Asia.

People need to remember that Bush labeled North Korea part of an "axis of evil" that included Iran and Saddam Hussein's Iraq, and that this incited Pyongyang to act out their own particular brand of insanity.

[Greyhound]

10. What? Impossible! That would have been on John Bolton's watch

and we all know how effective Mr. Raving Lunatic is at "gitten er dun".

[civildisoBDence]

11. It's more important to LOOK tough than to BE tough

If you can walk with a swagger and stick your chest out and land a jet on an aircraft carrier, Mission Accomplished.

Never mind that you've left the world in a fucking mess--you sure looked like a cowboy doin' it.

Newsprism

[neuvocat]

12. Aren't you glad Bush protected America from tyrants with WMD's?

Aren't you, Freepers, aren't you?

[IWantAChange]

13. Potential 'talking points' for DNC just keeps growing

It is almost to the point where there wont be any historical debate about which was the worst Administration in American History - Dubyha and the Repugs look like hands down winners to me.

:bounce:

[Proud2BAmurkin]

14. wow..

nt

[peacetalksforall]

15. Interesting - Foreign Polifcy In Focus From Khan to No Korea

snip
"The New York Times recently published CIA intelligence on North Korea’s nuclear weapons based on the interrogation of Dr.Abdul Qadeer Khan by Pakistani authorities. Khan admitted in February to supplying nuclear weapons technologies and materials to Iran, Libya, and North Korea. The intelligence reported in the New York Times will potentially affect the U.S. diplomatic position at the next round of six party talks in June.

On March 13, the Times reported that classified CIA intelligence “detailed for the first time the extent to which Pakistan’s Khan Research Laboratories provided North Korea with all the equipment and technology necessary to produce uranium-based nuclear weapons.” According to the Times, the CIA report concludes that North Korea received all of the necessary components for the enrichment of uranium into weapons grade material, including completed centrifuges and uranium hexafluoride, and one or more weapons designs. Unnamed American officials confirmed the information in the article.

At a recent House International Relations Committee hearing, Rep. Bill Delahunt (D-MA) cited the March 13 Times article. He focused on Dr. Khan’s use of Pakistani military planes to supply North Korea with nuclear materials from 1998-2002. Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security John Bolton was dismissive, stating, “I’m not going to comment on newspaper reports about intelligence assessments, particularly when the newspaper report is wrong.”

Delahunt questioned Bolton further as to whether the U.S. has interrogated Khan directly. While Bolton acknowledged that the administration expressed its concerns about Dr. Khan’s activities to the Pakistani government, he admitted, “We have not asked for access to Mr. Khan, nor do we think we should.”"

snipped - http://www.fpif.org/fpiftxt/632

good learning tool, if all true

Opinon only -
Link 1: Khan to North Korea
Link 2: Cheney to Khan? - seek for yourself - the internet has plenty to read on their dealings?

Ever wonder why Pakistan is so protected by this administration? Our invasion of Pakistan is at another level?

[Igel]

17. Yes, Khan was bad.

But notice that this bomb used Pu, not U.

The Clinton initiative curbed, for a while, exploration of one nuclear technology; things were slow and a default or two happened under Clinton's watch, and they pursued the other nuclear technology. The agreement only covered one of the two.

Since Clinton left office, N. Korea continued what it was doing. It takes a while to build the equipment and get it running, and then a while to process to get the pure metal.

No winners here. Just losers.

[Auggie]

16. Another nail in the coffin (just in time for the election).

[confludemocrat]

18. Bush refused to pledge to not attack N. Korea w/nukes, NK responds thusly

plus axis of evil speech preceded that, plus Bush has refused bilateral talks throughout. Someone above said Kerry "eviscerated" Bush over this-bullshit-his rhetoric was typically weak and tentative

[edwardbuendia]

19. Of all the Distorted Realities most Americans hold:

There were WMD's in Iraq, Imigrants are a lazy people who take our tax dollars, French are cowards, Laws are fair and should never be questioned, Jews are not to be trusted/or ostracized {yet their Christianity owes its foundation to Judaism}, the Founding Fathers did no wrong and were enlightened, flying a foreign flag is unamerican, but flying a rebel one is fine, The USSR collapsed because "we won" the Cold War... I could go on: all these "realities" when truly analyzed and put to the test fail the test of reason, objectivity and logic, but this does not matter because one thing is clear: the neoconservatives use these false realities to keep the majority of Americans afraid, in line, and acquiescent to their power-thirsty tactics.

The one of these realities that I find most ridiculous is this one: North Korea is building a bomb to use against us! Really, I mean are they REALLY? Right, because the ICBM Silohs in along the DZM are slowly opening, because the heavily armed and modern Korean fleet is steaming from the Korean sea, because N korea's version of the B-52 is taxing down a runaway... and their new, super secret, stealth nuclear sub is heading for the West coast; please. Even if there was absolute evidence that North Korea has tested a device successfully, and have accumulated enough plutonium for a weapon, and Jong Il was actually insane enough to decide to use it, how will they deliver it in the near future. I mean, seriously, how? Kim Jong Il may be a posturing bafoon, but unless the whole regime has lost it, they fully know that such an attempt, against any country, will be the end of North Korean and their communist experiment. The importance placed on the megalomaniac running that country is preposterous: the idiot, much like our own but far less dangerous, postures and huffs for one reason only: he wants attention, and needs food to keep his people under his fist, and badly wants to renegotiate the terms that provide food from the west for the people of North Korea... the reality of Kim Jong Il as a threat is very, very useful to the American establishment running this country: everytime that bespectacled buffoon utters one of his hollow threats the media and the blogs repeat his words incesantly.. but then again, does it surprise you? This establishment, especially when run by conservatives, simply cannot function without a villain enemy just frothing at the mouth to rape and pillage the Mississippi Delta: how many of them have even gotten on a raft on their shores, set their compass to the Gulf of Mexico and tried? Simply ridiculous.

What we should be discussing is how we can promote change in this country, so we can actually help the people of North Korea, who are suffering greatly under the communist dictatorship: and no, as proven, regime change and pushing capitalism {guised as 'democracy'} down a nation's throat is not the answer: but while our country is run by the arms industry/conservatives/wealthy/elite/christian extremists... this will never change.

As a concession: the true danger of North Korea is its potential to destabilize the region... and possibly forcing Russia, China and Japan into militariazation; at the moment, they are the only ones trying diplomatic channels. As far as Bush: well, we all know that the word "dimplomacy" is as unknown to that gauche as the word "truth."

That being said: yes, North Korea's increasing posturing IS this asministration's fault: and I bet they wish they could send him a thank you note.

[twaddler01]

20. Soweet, figures

Iraq is more important!!!!

[edwardbuendia]

21. Awreness is more important!

Conceptualize... please!

[NNN0LHI]

22. kick