Mushroom Cloud Over North Korea??!?!?!

[mikey23545]

World - AP Asia
AP
Blast, Mushroom Cloud Reported in N. Korea

33 minutes ago


By CHRISTOPHER TORCHIA, Associated Press Writer

SEOUL, South Korea - A large explosion occurred in the northern part of North Korea (news - web sites), sending a huge mushroom cloud into the air on an important anniversary of the communist regime, a South Korean news agency reported Sunday.



The South Korean government said it was trying to confirm the report.

The Yonhap news agency, citing an unidentified diplomatic source in Seoul, said the explosion happened at 11 a.m. local time Thursday in Yanggang province near the border with China. The blast in Kim Hyong Jik county left a crater big enough to be noticed by a satellite, the source said.

"We understand that a mushroom-shaped cloud about 2.2 miles to 2.5 miles in diameter was monitored during the explosion," the source said. Yonhap described the source as "reliable."

Thursday was the anniversary of the 1948 foundation of the communist regime. Leader Kim Jong Il uses the occasion to stage performances and other events to bolster loyalty among the impoverished North Korean population.

Experts have speculated that North Korea might use a major anniversary to conduct a nuclear-related test, though there was no immediate indication that the reported explosion on Thursday was linked to Pyongyang's efforts to develop nuclear weapons.

"It remains unclear whether it was a deliberately planned nuclear test or it was just an accident," the source in Seoul told Yonhap. "But it doesn't seem to be an ordinary explosion."

The source said the explosion took place "not far" from a military base that holds North Korea's Taepo-dong ballistic missiles. North Korea, which has a large missile arsenal and more than a million soldiers, is dotted with military installations.

The damage and crater left by the explosion in Kim Hyong Jik county was big enough to be noticed by a satellite, a source in Beijing told Yonhap.

North Korea was founded on Sept. 9, 1948. Leader Kim Jong Il uses the anniversary to stage performances and other events to bolster loyalty among the impoverished North Korean population.

South Korea (news - web sites)'s Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said the government was trying to confirm the report about the explosion.

"I am not aware of details such as the size of the damage," he was quoted as saying by Yonhap after a National Security Council meeting.

On Saturday, North Korea said recent revelations that South Korea conducted secret nuclear experiments involving uranium and plutonium made the communist state more determined to pursue its own nuclear programs.

The South Korean experiments, conducted in 1982 and 2000, were likely to further complicate the already stalled six-nation talks aimed at dismantling the North's nuclear development. South Korea has said the experiments were purely for research and did not reflect a desire to develop weapons.

On April 22, train wagons at a railway station exploded in the North Korean town of Ryongchon, killing 160 people and injuring an estimated 1,300, according to some estimates. The blast was believed to have been sparked by a train laden with oil and chemicals that hit power lines.

The explosion on Thursday was bigger than the Ryongchon train explosion, which devastated a wide area, Yonhap said.

[Phobia]

This is a news item.

If anybody wishes to bring politics into it, take it to the D.C. forum where a similar topic exists.

If you choose to make this thread about politics, your posts will be deleted.

[mikey23545]

Sorry...Didn't check the other forum for a similar post...It doesn't seem like a political topic to me, just a straight news story....

[tk13]

This is a news item.

If anybody wishes to bring politics into it, take it to the D.C. forum where a similar topic exists.

If you choose to make this thread about politics, your posts will be deleted.
I think that is impossible because the discussion is going to head right toward foreign policy. I mean, what else are you going to say?... "Yeah, that guy is pretty nuts."

[Phobia]

Sorry...Didn't check the other forum for a similar post...It doesn't seem like a political topic to me, just a straight news story....

Don't be sorry. Lots of people don't venture into the D.C. forum for obvious reasons. This can be discussed without making it political. Hopefully a healthy discussion with ensue.

[Phobia]

I think that is impossible because the discussion is going right toward foreign policy. I mean, what else are you going to say?... "Yeah, that guy is pretty nuts."

Yeah, that guy is pretty nuts.

[Jenson71]

Wow, this guy is pretty nuts.

What would he aim for with a nuke? About how many US troops are still at that border now?

[BigMeatballDave]

What scares the hell outta me is that crazy phuqer selling one to Al Qaeda...

[mikey23545]

And let's face it-North Korea is hard up for cash....

[BigMeatballDave]

And let's face it-North Korea is hard up for cash....I got a few bucks here, how much you think he wants?

[Ugly Duck]

"It remains unclear whether it was a deliberately planned nuclear test or it was just an accident" An accidental nuclear explosion? Is that possible? I mean, you don't just light a fuse to blow one of those things up....

[WoodDraw]

About how many US troops are still at that border now?

I believe about 37,500 plus aircrafts. Add to that SK's army, troops stationed in Japan, and more aircrafts and you've got plenty of force to defend the country. You've just got to hope that they don't try to use nuclear or chemical weapons though.

[go bo]

An accidental nuclear explosion? Is that possible? I mean, you don't just light a fuse to blow one of those things up....i don't know whether an accidental nuclear explosion is possible outside of a nuclear weapon...

but if it was an accidental explosion of a nuclear bomb, that is possible, i would think...

once the bomb has been assembled, some faulty part or design could fail and trigger the explosion, like the timing mechanism or something...

and i don't think that nk would use a nuclear weapon against the south since they want to control all of korea, including the south, so i doubt that they would intentionally destroy a large part of it...

[go bo]

I believe about 37,500 plus aircrafts. Add to that SK's army, troops stationed in Japan, and more aircrafts and you've got plenty of force to defend the country. You've just got to hope that they don't try to use nuclear or chemical weapons though.do you have any numbers for the sk army, our troops in japan, or available aircraft (considering the number already in use in afghanistan and iraq)?

i don't know... defending sk against a million men in the nk army? a million is a lot to defend against...

[WoodDraw]

do you have any numbers for the sk army, our troops in japan, or available aircraft (considering the number already in use in afghanistan and iraq)?


These are just some quick numbers I pulled so some of they might not be accurate.

South Korean army: 560,000
US troops in Japan: 45,000
US troops in Korea: 33,900

As for aircrafts, I'm not really sure. You've got the 7th Fleet in Japan which includes the USS Kitty Hawk aircraft carrier. The 5th air force is in Japan too. Another aircraft carrier will also likely move to the area. But if South Korea was invade then you'd see a huge deployment of aircrafts to SK. There are also plenty of troops in Europe that could be moved.

This also isn't factoring in any support from allies. I think air superiority along with a steady flow of Tomahawk missiles from the sea would do a lot to hurt NK though.

[go bo]

These are just some quick numbers I pulled so some of them might not be accurate.

South Korean army: 560,000
US troops in Japan: 45,000
US troops in Korea: 33,900

As for aircrafts, I'm not really sure. You've got the 7th Fleet in Japan which includes the USS Kitty Hawk aircraft carrier. The 5th air force is in Japan too. Another aircraft carrier will also likely move to the area. But if South Korea was invade then you'd see a huge deployment of aircrafts to SK. There are also plenty of troops in Europe that could be moved.

This also isn't factoring in any support from allies. I think air superiority along with a steady flow of Tomahawk missiles from the sea would do a lot to hurt NK though.it looks like we could put up a good fight if we had to, but wouldn't be hard to concentrate so many aircraft there when we are already using lots of them in iraq and afghanistan?

same with troops... we're pretty thin as it is, judging by the numbers of guardsmen and reservists serving in iraq...

[ChiefFripp]

Oh hell! WMD indeed!

I'm not trying to be funny, this is some terribly bad news.

[DenverChief]

it looks like we could put up a good fight if we had to, but wouldn't be hard to concentrate so many aircraft there when we are already using lots of them in iraq and afghanistan?

same with troops... we're pretty thin as it is, judging by the numbers of guardsmen and reservists serving in iraq...

not to mention China would prolly help with ground forces...there was a reason the 50-53 conflicte ended in a stalemate

Austraila - 17,164 - 339 KIA
Belgium - 900 - 97 KIA, 355 WIA
Britain - 14,200 - 1,078 KIA, 2,692 WIA
Canada - 26,791- 1,558 KIA,
Columbia - 1,068- 146 KIA, 448 WIA
Denmark - 0/0 (Hospital)
France - 3,421 - 287 KIA, 1,350 WIA
India - 0/0 (Hospital)
Luxembourg - 44 - 7 KIA, 21 WIA
New Zealand - 1,044 - 31 KIA, 78 WIA
Phillippines - 7,500 - 92 KIA, 356 WIA
Republic of Korea - 590,911
Turkey- 5,190 - 721 KIA, 2,111 WIA
Thailand - 2,100 - 136 KIA, 469 WIA
Sweden - 1,124 0/0 (Hospital)
South Africa - 206 - 20 KIA, 16 WIA
Norway - 106 0/0 (Hospital)
Netherlands - 3,972 - 116 KIA, 381 WIA
Italy UNK
Greece - 840 - 194 KIA, 459 WIA
Ethiopia - 3,600 - 122 KIA, 566 WIA
U.S. 302,483 - 33,741 KIA, 92,134 WIA

[htismaqe]

These are just some quick numbers I pulled so some of they might not be accurate.

South Korean army: 560,000
US troops in Japan: 45,000
US troops in Korea: 33,900

As for aircrafts, I'm not really sure. You've got the 7th Fleet in Japan which includes the USS Kitty Hawk aircraft carrier. The 5th air force is in Japan too. Another aircraft carrier will also likely move to the area. But if South Korea was invade then you'd see a huge deployment of aircrafts to SK. There are also plenty of troops in Europe that could be moved.

This also isn't factoring in any support from allies. I think air superiority along with a steady flow of Tomahawk missiles from the sea would do a lot to hurt NK though.

Like DenverChief said, we're vastly outnumbered. There's no way the Chinese would allow us to attack North Korea. They did it in 1950, they'll do it again.

[4th and Long]

http://www.voanews.com/article.cfm?objectID=65057BE4-5FD1-4278-AB3F2299BFCE4881&title=No%20Nuclear%20Test%20in%20North%20Korea%2C%20Officials%20Say&catOID=45C9C78B-88AD-11D4-A57200A0CC5EE46C&categoryname=Asia%20Pacific


No Nuclear Test in North Korea, Officials Say


South Korean officials say they are trying to determine the cause of a huge explosion Thursday reported in North Korea near a missile base of the communist state.

South Korea's Yonhap news agency quoted South Korean presidential office spokesman Kim Jong-min as saying officials did not think it was a nuclear test.

South Korean Unification Minister Chung Dong-young told reporters in Seoul Sunday he doubts the blast was a North Korean nuclear weapons test.

South Korean media, quoting diplomats in Seoul, say Thursday's explosion sent up a mushroom cloud with a radius of at least 3.5 kilometers, rising not far from the Chinese border where North Korea has a base for its Daepodong missiles.

News of the explosion comes amid intense speculation in Washington and Seoul that North Korea might be preparing for its first nuclear weapons test.

But diplomatic sources in Tokyo on Sunday cautioned against concluding the blast was deliberate or linked to the country's nuclear program. They speculate, based on preliminary descriptions, that it sounds as if the explosion could have been caused by rocket fuel.

This comes as China, South Korea, Japan and the United States are holding various meetings on how to press North Korea into a fourth round of negotiations on dismantling its nuclear programs.

[ChiefsFanatik88]

These are just some quick numbers I pulled so some of they might not be accurate.

South Korean army: 560,000
US troops in Japan: 45,000
US troops in Korea: 33,900

As for aircrafts, I'm not really sure. You've got the 7th Fleet in Japan which includes the USS Kitty Hawk aircraft carrier. The 5th air force is in Japan too. Another aircraft carrier will also likely move to the area. But if South Korea was invade then you'd see a huge deployment of aircrafts to SK. There are also plenty of troops in Europe that could be moved.

This also isn't factoring in any support from allies. I think air superiority along with a steady flow of Tomahawk missiles from the sea would do a lot to hurt NK though.

Bad thing about this list is that most of what you list is in range of the NK No Dong missiles. If they were to launch a pre-emptive attack we could lose a lot of people, war fighting material before we can fight back.

[teedubya]

i had a dream not too long ago back, that NK sent a few of these towards the West Coast, triggering San Andreas fault and sending most of california into the ocean.

I woke up in a cold sweat.

[mikey23545]

i had a dream not too long ago back, that NK sent a few of these towards the West Coast, triggering San Andreas fault and sending most of california into the ocean.

I woke up in a cold sweat.

No way a Korean nuclear attack could turn out that well for us....

[Oxford]

http://www.voanews.com/article.cfm?objectID=65057BE4-5FD1-4278-AB3F2299BFCE4881&title=No%20Nuclear%20Test%20in%20North%20Korea%2C%20Officials%20Say&catOID=45C9C78B-88AD-11D4-A57200A0CC5EE46C&categoryname=Asia%20Pacific


No Nuclear Test in North Korea, Officials Say




That's what that button was for...........

[Valiant]

hopefully this will hinder them from trying to make another nuke...and no forest fire can make a mushroom cloud..well unless the trees were filled with nukes...

So i can see nuke trees making a forest fire...

[teedubya]

No way a Korean nuclear attack could turn out that well for us....

So you are saying getting rid of the west coast is a good thing?

[JimNasium]

So you are saying getting rid of the west coast is a good thing?
You might want to check the batteries on your sargazm detector.

[cdcox]

mmm mushrooms... :homer:

[Bowser]

Well, either there's an explanation, or the spin has begun...........

http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/asiapcf/09/12/nkorea.blast/index.html

[Rain Man]

I've been expecting this for a long time. With the famine there, North Korea has really been concentrating on developing their mushroom technology.



Okay, seriously, I'll bet they blew up a coal plant or a fertilizer plant or something. Any explosion will make a mushroom cloud if it's big enough.