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China-Japan-Koreas
'No Evidence' of Reconstruction at Yongbyon Reactor
2009-09-08
A United States-based think tank, the Institute for Science and International Security, on Friday said there was no evidence of North Korea trying to rebuild the Yongbyon nuclear facilities that had been disabled as part of a deal with the U.S. and four other countries in 2007.

Based on satellite images of the site taken on Aug. 10, experts say the nuclear reactor and the cooling tower remain destroyed with no signs of reconstruction.

However, experts say the reclusive state can theoretically produce weapons-grade plutonium by bringing out the fuel rods from a water tank where they were kept after the deal, even if they do not rebuild the facilities.
Gee, what shall the Norks do, rebuild the facilities and call attention to themselves or quietly re-process the fuel rods. I don't know. Let's bring out the Book of Common Wisdom!
This comes against the backdrop of Pyongyang's claim early Friday that it has reached the "final stage" of enriching uranium, a process that would give the country a second way of producing a nuclear bomb. It added that extracted plutonium is also being made into atomic weapons.

A Washington-based source said if these claims are to be taken at face value, it appears that Pyongyang has reactivated its reprocessing facilities.
And why would we ever take the Norks at less than face value?
In Seoul, U.S. special envoy to North Korea Stephen Bosworth and South Korean envoy Wi Sung-lac met on Saturday to discuss strategies to bring the North back to the six-party nuclear talks. The two exchanged views on how to cooperate on issues concerning North Korea's call to remove UN sanctions and for bilateral talks with the U.S.

Meanwhile, Russia's Interfax news agency reported Friday that Russia views Pyongyang's recent claim as "very alarming" and will pressure the North to come back to the six-party negotiations.
Posted by:Steve White

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