Grim's Hall

On North Korea:

Today's news is that the DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea--usually, "North Korea") has postponed talks with South Korea, blaming them for allegedly raising their military alert status. North Korea seems to see this as a prelude to war.

Earlier this month, an unofficial spokesman for the DPRK promised nuclear strikes against the United States in the event of any such invasion. The article wildly claims that there are a hundred 'suspected' nuclear weapons in the DPRK, numbers I've not seen elsewhere. If memory serves, the CIA thinks the actual numbers are two to six. However, the statements the man makes about the DPRK's ability to produce nuclear weapons look accurate to me--six new warheads by April is not impossible, given their hidden nuclear processing plants (see yesterday's links) and the possibilty of underground testing (cf. the gentleman's comments on becoming an "official nuclear power" as one way of neutralizing American influence on the penninsula).

I am still thinking about options for dealing with the DPRK. Ideas welcome.