North Korea - Living Up to Expectations

Why am I not surprised by this?

North Korea said Monday it had exploded a nuclear weapon for the first time, an underground test that defied international warnings but was hailed by the communist nation as a "great leap forward" for its people.

The reported test drew harsh condemnation from world powers and some warned it would destabilize the region. Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair called the test a "completely irresponsible act" and Japan said it was unpardonable.

The U.N. Security Council was expected to discuss North Korea on Monday, and the United States and Japan were likely to press for a resolution imposing additional sanctions on the impoverished country.

The U.S. Geological Survey said it recorded a seismic event in northeastern North Korea that coincided with the announced test and a South Korean expert said it was equivalent to the force of 550 tons of TNT or a relatively small bomb.

Nice. Just a little one. Well in output at least.

If a nuclear test is confirmed, North Korea would be the eighth country in the world known to have atomic weapons along with the United States, Russia, France, China, Britain, India, and Pakistan. Israel also is believed to have nuclear bombs but does not confirm it.

The North is believed to have enough radioactive material for about a half-dozen bombs, using plutonium from its main nuclear reactor located at Yongbyon, north of the capital Pyongyang. It insists its nuclear program is necessary to deter a U.S. invasion.

The North also has active missile programs, but it is not believed to have an atomic bomb design small and light enough to be mounted on a long-range rocket that could strike targets as far as the U.S.

I like the statement about their missile program juxapositioned with the nuclear device report. Seems to me the last test of one of their long range missiles was a complete failure. Nice reporting.

Though I am baffled as to why this statement was placed at the bottom of page 2.

Russian military monitoring systems "detected the test of a nuclear weapon in North Korea," the ITAR-Tass news agency quoted Lt. Gen. Vladimir Verkhovtsev as saying. "It is 100 percent (certain) that it was an underground nuclear explosion," the agency quoted Verkhovtsev, the head of a Defense Ministry department, as saying.

I take that as confirmation. The Russians have had the technology to do these confirmations so it's pretty clear that this probably was a nuclear test.

So, being a cynic, I think the next things that will be seen are the UN Security council running around for a couple of months with nothing coming to any resolution. Iran will start something in order to get back to the forefront of world concerns. The US and like minded countries will rattle sabers, but will only be able to apply some very minor sanctions due to the North Koreans already being highly isolate. China will do nothing. The six party talks may get restarted, but will be a waste of time.

Oh, and the Dems will claim that it's all Bush's fault. I expect this will be the first thing that comes out in the press starting in the next couple of hours.