North Korea details expanded nuclear program (claims "thousands" of nuclear centrifuges)

[Turborama]

Source: Reuters

By Jeremy Laurence
SEOUL | Mon Nov 29, 2010 10:28pm EST -

Secretive North Korea detailed for the first time its expanded nuclear program Tuesday, saying it had thousands of centrifuges as pressure built on China to rein in its ally amid heightened tensions on the peninsula.

Nuclear-armed Pyongyang's revelations about its uranium enrichment, which gives it a second route to make a nuclear bomb, came a week after it fired a barrage of artillery shells at a South Korean island, killing four people including two civilians.

"Currently construction of a light-water reactor is in progress actively and a modern uranium enrichment plant equipped with several thousands of centrifuges, to secure the supply of fuels, is operating," the Rodong Sinmun newspaper reported.

"Nuclear energy development projects will become more active for peaceful purpose in the future," added the paper, according the state news agency KCNA.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6AR19920101130?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%20%3Cimg%20src=

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North Korea claims "thousands" of nuclear centrifuges

November 30 2010| Last updated at 03:23 GMT

North Korea says it has thousands of centrifuges operating at a previously undetected uranium enrichment facility it revealed earlier this month.

The North Koreans say the plant is for civil nuclear power. It's not clear whether the centrifuges could be used to produce material for weapons.

A US scientist has seen the facility, but could not confirm it was working.

The claim comes as tensions remain high, after the North shelled a South Korean island a week ago.

More: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11872034

[David__77]

1. N. Korea has many underground facilities that are pretty secure.

And I certainly doubt that its scientists would be attacked by foreign operatives as in Iran. The sad thing is that the US attacks against a military bereft country like Iraq only gives the lesson that the N. Korean military model happens to "work" against so-called regime change.

[Turborama]

2. True, that. I suspect they learnt a lot of lessons from the many mistakes that we made in Iraq

And are making in Afghanistan.

[bemildred]

3. Am I the only one that draws from all this belligerent blather coming from N. Korea

the conclusion that Kim and his offspring and cronies sit uneasy on the throne?