Evil
01-05-2007, 08:49 AM
SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korean officials said on Friday activity had been spotted near a suspected nuclear test site in North Korea but there was no evidence to suggest Pyongyang was about to test another atomic device.
ABC News had earlier quoted a U.S. defense official as saying that North Korea appeared to have made preparations for a second nuclear test. Its first, on October 9 last year, drew worldwide condemnation and punitive U.N. sanctions.
"We think they've put everything in place to conduct a test without any notice or warning," the U.S. television network quoted the official as saying.
In response, a U.S. official said he had no reason to believe North Korea was preparing for a test -- and there was in fact considerable uncertainty within the U.S. government about whether Pyongyang had any intention of conducting one.
The United States monitors North Korea by satellite and spy planes that fly along the fringes of the reclusive communist state's airspace to watch for suspicious movements.
"Certain activities have been detected near a suspected North Korean nuclear test site but currently there are no specific indications related to an additional test," said a South Korean source familiar with the North's nuclear program.
The source asked not to be named and declined to explain how the latest movements were spotted.
LINK (http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2007-01-05T121747Z_01_WAT006794_RTRUKOC_0_US-KOREA-NORTH-TEST.xml&WTmodLoc=NewsArt-L3-Top+NewsNews-4)
ABC News had earlier quoted a U.S. defense official as saying that North Korea appeared to have made preparations for a second nuclear test. Its first, on October 9 last year, drew worldwide condemnation and punitive U.N. sanctions.
"We think they've put everything in place to conduct a test without any notice or warning," the U.S. television network quoted the official as saying.
In response, a U.S. official said he had no reason to believe North Korea was preparing for a test -- and there was in fact considerable uncertainty within the U.S. government about whether Pyongyang had any intention of conducting one.
The United States monitors North Korea by satellite and spy planes that fly along the fringes of the reclusive communist state's airspace to watch for suspicious movements.
"Certain activities have been detected near a suspected North Korean nuclear test site but currently there are no specific indications related to an additional test," said a South Korean source familiar with the North's nuclear program.
The source asked not to be named and declined to explain how the latest movements were spotted.
LINK (http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2007-01-05T121747Z_01_WAT006794_RTRUKOC_0_US-KOREA-NORTH-TEST.xml&WTmodLoc=NewsArt-L3-Top+NewsNews-4)