http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,20650803-1702,00.html
N Korea 'could build seven A-bombs' >From correspondents in Seoul October 26, 2006 08:09pm NORTH Korea might have extracted as much as 50kg of plutonium and is working to miniaturise nuclear devices to fit on ballistic missiles, a South Korean lawmaker said today, quoting from a Defence Ministry report. That amount would be enough for up to seven nuclear weapons, the report said. North Korea probably has been able to make a nuclear bomb weighing about two or three tonnes but needs to get them under one tonne to be able to deliver them via missiles, the report said. The Defence Ministry declined to confirm the contents of the report, which was released to the media by lawmaker Song Young-sun today, but did confirm that a report on the subject was reviewed by the Defence Minister and commanding officers in a meeting on October 10. The officials were meeting a day after North Korea detonated a nuclear device on October 9 in defiance of international warnings, triggering a UN Security Council resolution mandating financial and arms sanctions. "It is estimated that (the North) has extracted up to 50kg (110 lb) of plutonium," the report said. "Seven to eight kg of plutonium is needed for one nuclear weapon," it said. The lawmaker said the report was based on ministry estimates of reported North Korean nuclear activities. Estimates of the North's nuclear arsenal have ranged from one or two weapons to as many as ten or more. Its plutonium stockpile is believed to be enough for 13 bombs, according to some estimates. North Korea has a fleet of 82 Soviet-made IL-28 bombers that it can use to drop a nuclear weapon, the report said. North Korea has said the October 9 test was successful and intended as a deterrent against what it calls a US attempt to start a nuclear war against it. Some analysts have questioned its success, however, given the explosion's small yield. "The amount of plutonium needed to build a nuclear weapon varies widely depending on the technology of the country," said Kim Tae-woo, a proliferation expert at the Korea Institute of Defence Analyses in Seoul. "Our analysis, which we hope is true, is that North Korea would not have the level of an advanced nuclear power," Kim said. Share this article (What <http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,20650803-1702,00.html##> is this?) [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [EMAIL PROTECTED] -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: osint@yahoogroups.com Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. OSINT, as a part of The Intelligence Network, is making it available without profit to OSINT YahooGroups members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of intelligence and law enforcement organizations, their activities, methods, techniques, human rights, civil liberties, social justice and other intelligence related issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
