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North Korea conducts nuclear test, then test-fires three short-range missiles
DEBKAfile Special Report
May 25, 2009, 3:32 PM (GMT+02:00)
Kim Jong-Il watches N. Korean military exercise
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The US president Barack Obama said North Korea's a
ttempts to develop nuclear weapons was a threat to international peace and security and a matter of grave concern to all nations. This was his first response to North Korea's second nuclear test Monday, May 25.
ttempts to develop nuclear weapons was a threat to international peace and security and a matter of grave concern to all nations. This was his first response to North Korea's second nuclear test Monday, May 25.The former head of Israel's nuclear commission, Yigal Eylam estimated it was in the 20-kiloton range, roughly equal to the US atom bombs against Hiroshima and Nagasaki in WWII.
Russia announced a UN Security Council meeting on the crisis later Monday after confirming a 4.7 magnitude disturbance first detected by seismologists was in fact a subterranean nuclear test. Pyongyang thereupon threatened to meet any world measures with another nuclear test. Immediately after the nuclear test, North Korea test-fired three short-range missiles, the South Korean army reported.
Tokyo and other regional capitals are tensely watching to see how Washington handles the second crisis precipitated by Pyongyang less than a month after it tested a ballistic missile. Tehran is just as agog. DEBKAfile's military sources note that North Korea and Iran are closely and secretly coordinated on their military nuclear programs.
For instance, most of the missile guidance technology which gave the long-range Seijl 2 surface
missile tested by Iran Wednesday, May 20, its bull's-eye accuracy came from Pyongyang. Iran's long-range missile test was carried out less than a month after North Korea's own internationally condemned missile test launch on April 5. The Security Council chairman rebuked this test, for which the North Korean government demanded an apology and reopened its plutonium reactors in reprisal.
missile tested by Iran Wednesday, May 20, its bull's-eye accuracy came from Pyongyang. Iran's long-range missile test was carried out less than a month after North Korea's own internationally condemned missile test launch on April 5. The Security Council chairman rebuked this test, for which the North Korean government demanded an apology and reopened its plutonium reactors in reprisal.Tehran may therefore be expected to be not far behind its nuclear partner in conducting its own first nuclear test. Iranian nuclear and missile scientists are regularly invited to attend North Korea's missile and nuclear systems experiments and performance in recent years.
T
he US army chief, Adm. Mike Mullen warned Sunday, May 24, that Iran may attain a nuclear weapon any time between one and three years from now.Asian stock markets fell after North Korea said it conducted a nuclear test, erasing an earlier rally that was fueled by gains in mining and shipping companies.
Pyongyang claims its second test Monday was more powerful than its first in October 2006.
Japan will request an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council to discuss North Korea’s May 25 nuclear test, Kyodo reported May 25. The Japanese government has set up a special task force to deal with the reported test, and Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura said Japan would not tolerate the action by North Korea, and that decisive measures will be taken in response.The UN issued this resolution - http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2006/sc8853.doc.htm
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