Nuclear material in Syria

Last week Recliner Commentaries reported that dozens of people had recently been killed in Syria when Iranian engineers were attempting to place WMD chemical weapons on missiles.

Now, according to a report in today's TimesOnline:

Israeli commandos seized nuclear material of North Korean origin during a daring
raid on a secret military site in Syria before Israel bombed it this month,
according to informed sources in Washington and Jerusalem. The attack was
launched with American approval on September 6 after Washington was shown
evidence the material was nuclear related, the well-placed sources say. They
confirmed that samples taken from Syria for testing had been identified as North
Korean. This raised fears that Syria might have joined North Korea and Iran in
seeking to acquire nuclear weapons.

Jihad Watch calls it a "1938 alert." I agree.

Israel air strikes in Syria

Did Israeli planes take out North Korean nukes in Syria? (Ya Libnan).

Albright and North Korea

Hat tip to Kevin for bringing this to my attention. It may not be entirely fair or objective---but it is certainly funny....and true!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hzH6X8g34Y

Breaking: Appeasment to North Korea

Breaking News: U.S. takes the appeasement route, bows to North Korea, and agrees to pay tribute:

Kyodo, the Japanese news agency, has reported that North Korea wants an
annual energy package of two million tons of fuel oil and two million kilowatts
of electricity for taking the first steps in the agreement. It quoted
unidentifed diplomatic sources who said the North also wanted a short-term
infusion of hundreds of thousands of tons of fuel oil almost immediately. That
presumably would be a reward for shutting down Yongbyon, even though Yongbyon
does not provide electric energy to the country (quoted from Hot Air)

Those are your tax dollars at work. The Hot Air blog then comments, "This is the global equivalent of a hostage negotiation, with Kim implicitly threatening to kill Koreans on both sides of the border if we don’t give him what he wants. So … we’re giving him what he wants. No other options at this point, really."

This is what you get when you don't stop a tyrant from getting nuclear weapons while you have the chance. Today, North Korea. Tomorrow, Iran.

Tribute: "Any payment exacted for protection." "A payment or tax given by a feudal vassal to an overlord." American Heritage Dictionary]

Madeleine Albright and North Korea

The Drudge Report has the YouTube video making fun of the Democrats and North Korea--a video which YouTube apparently didn't want you to see because they reportedly pulled it from their collection.

North Korea threatens nuclear attack

According to WorldNetDaily:

“Communist North Korea has threatened to fire a nuclear-tipped missile unless the U.S. takes action to resolve its standoff with Pyongyang, according to the South Korean news agency Yonhap. “

“The unnamed North Korean official who issued the threat said the intent is to bring Washington to the negotiating table. “

“We hope the situation will be resolved before an unfortunate incident of us firing a nuclear missile comes," the official said yesterday. "That depends on how the U.S. will act.”

Stratfor says that there is no satisfactory military solution to this problem. So what would happen if we told China they have about six weeks to solve this problem before we start selling medium range nuclear missiles to South Korea, Japan and Taiwan?

North Korea nuclear test

North Korea has successfully conducted a nuclear test (Aljazeera, Reuters, USGS)

Breaking: North Korea announces nuclear test

North Korea announced today its intention to conduct a nuclear test. This is apparently the first time they have made an official public announcment of this intention (Reuters, Aljazeerh).

Their reasoning is to protect themselves against the evil, nuclear warmongering United States (Memo to North Korea: If the United States truly wanted nuclear war, North Korea would probably be a giant radioactive crater by now).

North Korea nuclear test?

Reuters reported today that North Korea may be planning a nuclear test.

Long range missiles

Reuters news service is reporting this morning that "North Korea has been working closely with Iran to develop its long-range ballistic missiles, possibly using Chinese technology, and is building large bases to prepare for their deployment..."

White House correction on Norh Korea

According to CNN, Tony Snow at the White House has issued a correction. There were five confirmed missiles fired by North Korea.

North Korea launches six missles

CNN just reported that according to a senior U.S. official in the White House, North Korea has fired six missles so far, including two long range missles.

North Korea: Fourth missile launch

There are now reports that North Korea may have launched a fourth missile (AP). While one of these missiles appears to have been the intercontenental Taepodong-2 missile America has been watching, it reportedly failed only 50 seconds after launch. The United States is now in communication with China, Russia and Japan.

North Korea: Three missiles

The CNN website now contains the following: BREAKING NEWS: North Korea test-fires at least three missiles, one of them a long-range weapon that the U.S. has been monitoring, U.S. sources say.

North Korea missile test

According to CNN, the State Department is reporting that a second missile has been fired by North Korea today. The first missile landed 600 miles from Japan in the sea of Japan.

North Korea missile launch

Fox News and the Associated Press are reporting that North Korea has just fired a missile, though it is not yet clear whether it was the Taepodong-2 missile capable of reaching America.

North Korean missile test?

About an hour ago, the CNN website reported that North Korea has loaded booster rockets and fuel tanks unto a Taepodong-2 missile capable of reaching Alaska. It is not known whether the missile has been fueled, but once fueled, the missile must be launched within 48 hours or the fuel will began to damage the missile.

If the missile is tested, both Washington and Japan threaten to (gasp!) take the matter to the U.N. North Korean leaders are undoubtedly shaking in their boots.

North Korea and Nuclear weapons

About 10 years ago North Korea agreed not to pursue a nuclear weapons program in return for help with nuclear reactors for non-military purposes. For reasons passing comprehension, President Clinton bought their lies, hook, line and sinker, and provided them with nuclear assistance. At the time, many people, including myself, thought this was incredibly stupid, if not tantamount to treason. Our worst fears came true when a few years later North Korea admitted that they had in fact violated the agreement (what a surprise)! They had used President Clinton’s help to produce nuclear weapons and they now have a nuclear knife pointed at our west coast throat!

Ah, but there’s good news! Yesterday North Korea promised to dump its nuclear weapons program in return for oil, energy aid and security agreements. They added that they would give up their nuclear weapons right after we give them a nuclear reactor. That certainly sounds reasonable. As a gesture of good will, why don’t we throw in a fully loaded nuclear submarine and aircraft carrier too?