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| China-Japan-Koreas |
| US Spy Plane Detects Kr85 gas over NORK |
| 2005-03-09 |
| From East-Asia-Intel.com, Subscription req'd. The United States has picked up signs of a radioactive gas emitted during the extraction of plutonium from spent fuel rods in atmospheric samples collected near North Korean airspace, a Japanese newspaper reported on March 3. Sniffing is the time-honored way of detecting tests and radioactivity, and analyzing what happened on the ground. The Cold War with the Russians honed our skills. Traces of Krypton 85 gas, a byproduct of reprocessed nuclear fuel rods, were found in December, the Asahi Shimbun reported, citing sources in Washington. Krypton 85 gas, an isotope that does not exist naturally, is emitted into the atmosphere when spent fuel rods are cut and plutonium extracted. I wonder if the NORKS have a safe way of processing and storing the nasty radioactive and toxic wastes from plutonium extraction. Heh. The United States has been monitoring North Korea's nuclear activities by extracting air samples using a WC-135W reconnaissance plane flying over the Korean peninsula. The United States also uses satellites to monitor the graphite nuclear reactor at the North's main nuclear complex in Yongbyon. Judging by the temperatures of structures at the facility and the steam emitted by its boilers U.S. officials believe that activity at the Yongbyon facility has been on hold since Sept. 2003, two months after Pyongyang's announcement that it completed reprocessing, Asahi quoted the sources as saying. The radioactive gas was detected in July 2003 when the North Koreans declared they had completed reprocessing, but had not been detected since. The re-emergence of the Krypton gas after a year and a half raised concerns in Washington that North Korea may have resumed operations at its nuclear facility. "Analysis is still underway to determine the time and place of emission," the report stated. If North Korea were to reprocess all 8,000 of its spent fuel rods, it could extract enough weapons-grade plutonium for six to eight nuclear warheads. That will reassure the Japanese. Better rein in your little dog, Chicoms. The Asahi Shimbun also reported that the United States has transferred test results to Japan "proving" that North Korea exported processed uranium to Libya. For peaceful™ uses, of course. Quoting Japanese government officials, the newspaper said the U.S. National Security Council's Asia director, Michael Green, told Japanese Cabinet secretary Hosoda Hiroyuki that North Korea exported uranium to Libya in a "nuclear black market" set up by the father of Pakistan's nuclear bomb, Abdul Qadeer Khan. The United States has reportedly designated the overseas transfer of nuclear materials by North Korea as a "red line" that could warrant the use of force. The current crisis emerged in 2002 when North Korea admitted to having a clandestine uranium-based arms program in addition to its known plutonium-based one, in violation of a 1994 nuclear freeze accord. Thus ending our oil handout and negating all of the hard diplomatic work done by Jimmuh and Madeline. |
| Posted by:Alaska Paul |
| #11 My electrical engineer used to fly in sniffer aircraft off of northern USSR. They used to sample air and nuclear fallout from above ground tests. The fallout used to hang right at the tropopause. They would find enough radioactive daughters to pretty much know how the test went, what kind of weapon was tested, etc etc. Many of his unit died of cancer, but he is still going. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2005-03-09 10:36:57 PM |
| #10 When the Bombing run is going to happen is another matter. I would like to know, that way I can hand out "NK nuked themselves, honest!" T-shirts. |
| Posted by: Charles 2005-03-09 8:43:43 PM |
| #9 The cosmic rays ...are out even to give Kimmie a bum rap! This is sarcasm And I agree with Frank G, He's probably getting a bombing run |
| Posted by: BigEd 2005-03-09 7:35:46 PM |
| #8 Kimmie is NOT getting a bum rap a bombing run, maybe, bum rap, no |
| Posted by: Frank G 2005-03-09 7:29:57 PM |
| #7 Tom - I sorry, but you don't understand what I posted, I was being sarcastic... I understand how cosmic rays affect other thinks as well like H3, C14 in CO2, etc, etc Please see any of my postings about Kimmy. He is one of my favorite targets. He is such a good one... |
| Posted by: BigEd 2005-03-09 7:27:11 PM |
| #6 BigEd, I fear that you do not understand what you posted. Cosmic radiation just produces background levels of Kr-85. The air sampling results would have been adjusted for that. Kimmie is NOT getting a bum rap. |
| Posted by: Tom 2005-03-09 7:20:02 PM |
| #5 Traces of Krypton 85 gas, a byproduct of reprocessed nuclear fuel rods, were found in December, Guess this isn't a job for Superman... |
| Posted by: Raj 2005-03-09 5:20:12 PM |
| #4 It's a key ingredient in Juche! It's even better than Soylent Green! |
| Posted by: Dishman 2005-03-09 4:53:56 PM |
| #3 Alaska Paul, "I wonder if the NORKS have a safe way of processing and storing the nasty radioactive and toxic wastes from plutonium extraction. Heh." Alaska! Give Kimmie a Flush. |
| Posted by: Groluck Ulutle8634 2005-03-09 4:48:13 PM |
| #2 Alaska! Give Kimmie a break : I found this piece of info, which also might give creedence to his paranoia. (NOT) "Krypton-85 ( 85Kr) is a radioactive noble gas produced naturally mainly by the interaction of cosmic radiation with the most abundant isotope (84Kr, 56,9%)." http://ssf.rug.ac.be/radenp/Krypton/Krypton.html The cosmic rays from the sun are out even to give Kimmie a bum rap! Kr85 has a 1/2 life of about 10 years... |
| Posted by: BigEd 2005-03-09 3:54:45 PM |
| #1 WHERE'S THE 0 SUPRISE METER??? |
| Posted by: BigEd 2005-03-09 3:49:53 PM |