Sobering, Is It Not?
It's certainly clear that North Korea is clandestinely initially and now more openly operating on two separate fronts to impress the international community with even greater respect for its scientific and technical prowess than ever before. After having signed an agreement with the IAEA, and having assured the United States and the United Nations that it planned unequivocally to cease firing missiles, is it preparing to do just that again.But it has also been extremely busy preparing for yet another - its third - nuclear test. Satellite images have been revealed that depict earth mounds at the entrance of a site in Punggye-ri in the northeast of the country where two previous nuclear tests took place to amaze and not quite delight the world, in 2006 and 2009.
These costly-to-mount exercises in celebration of the centenary of the birth of Kim Jong-il, the current state's brilliant founder-father.
South Korean intelligence authority has compiled a report reading: "North Korea is covertly preparing for a third nuclear test, which would be another grave provocation. North Korea is digging up a new underground tunnel at the Punggyeri nuclear test site, in addition to its existing two underground tunnels, and it has been confirmed that the excavation works are in the final stages."
North Korea is such an impishly clever state, just full of intriguing surprises, to keep her neighbours guessing. Japan is guessing that there may conceivably be some fall-out over their territory, and they view this possibility as a huge threat against their sovereignty. In response, Japan has stationed missile interceptors in southern Okinawa and Tokyo.
Japan's military has orders to shoot down any part of the rocket that may enter its territory. South Korea is similarly prepared, and neither has made any secret of their intentions. In response, North Korea considers the actions of its neighbours to be highly provocative, warning them that it will consider any such shooting down of its property, wherever it occurs, a declaration of war.
For its part, the United States continues its diplomatic contacts with China with respect to its purported influence with North Korea. It is not entirely clear who or what can influence North Korea. It is doubtful that Beijing has all that much influence with Pyongyang, over the planned rocket launch, or its preparations for yet another nuclear test.
Consider the vast expenditure of treasury that would of necessity be required to prepare for both these events. Consider the fact that this is not only an international pariah state, but a hugely impoverished one, whose population is continually on the verge of starvation. Yet this regime proudly reports its intention to launch a rocket into space carrying a satellite.
The purpose of the satellite, claim North Korean officials, is to collect data on forests and natural resources across the region. Paupers, technologically advanced, pathetically scarred by their own sense of inferiority, dependent on the goodwill of the international community to provide the basic necessities of life for their starving people.
Labels: North Korea, Political Realities, Poverty, Security, Societal Failures, Technology, Values, World Crises
posted by Pieface @ Wednesday, April 11, 2012
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