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What next in growing crisis between U.S. and North Korea? Wall Street Journal Published 01/05/2003 QWhat does the United States know about the status of North Korea's nuclear- weapons program? AThe U.S. government and most outside experts believe that North Korea already has separated enough bomb-grade plutonium to make at least two nuclear weapons. QWhat started this current dispute? AThe Bush administration confronted North Korea with evidence in October that made Pyongyang officials admit it has a clandestine uranium-enrichment program. It appears to be aimed at making highly enriched uranium, an explosive metal that is used in nuclear warheads. QWhy is North Korea's secret program regarded as so important? AIn 1994, North Korea signed an agreement with the Clinton administration to resolve an earlier crisis by agreeing to freeze its nuclear-weapons program, which was based on the use of plutonium. In return, the United States agreed to help supply North Korea with a small amount of heavy fuel oil and two South Korean-built nuclear reactors to provide North Korea with electric power. The hidden uranium-enrichment program was a fundamental violation of the 1994 pact. QHow is the conflict escalating? AThe Bush administration cut off the fuel-oil shipments in November and, last month, temporarily stopped a North Korean shipment of Scud missiles bound for Yemen. A day after the Scud incident, North Korea said it was removing U.N. inspection equipment and restarting plutonium-separation operations at its main nuclear complex at Yongbyon. "The concern is that if they continue operations at Yongbyon they might be able to double or triple that arsenal within six months," said Leonard Spector, director of the Washington office of the Monterey Institute of International Studies. QWhat are the military risks? AThey are substantial, but not necessarily nuclear. Most of North Korea's 950,000-man army is poised near the peninsula's demilitarized zone, which puts parts of South Korea's capital, Seoul, within artillery range. A conventional clash could, potentially, involve hundreds of thousands of casualties, including some among 37,000 U.S. troops there. QWould North Korea launch an attack? AU.S. officials and outside experts appear split on this. North Korea's army is a poorly supplied antique, loaded with 1950s and '60s weapons, that is used primarily to keep internal order. QWhat does North Korea want? AEngagement and aid from the United States and its allies appear to be the main goals, but getting caught cheating on the earlier deal would appear to make any new agreement very difficult. Still, some outside experts remain hopeful that U.S. diplomats can find a way to freeze both nuclear-weapons programs. "These guys [North Korean officials] want to become billionaires selling real estate in the DMZ. They don't want a potential war," said Peter Hayes, director of the Nautilus Institute, a think tank in Berkeley, Calif. © Copyright 2003 Star Tribune. All rights reserved. http://www.startribune.com/stories/484/3572428.html A<:>E<:>R ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Forwarded for your information. The text and intent of the article has to stand on its own merits. Therefore, unless I am a first-hand witness to any event described, I cannot attest to its validity. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this material is distributed without charge or profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this type of information for non-profit research and educational purposes only. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe simply because it has been handed down for many generations. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumoured by many. 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