10 N.Koreans killed in Israeli stike on Syrian nuclear facility

10 N.Koreans killed in Israeli stike on Syrian nuclear facility

www.bloomberg.com

The 10 people, whose remains were cremated and returned to North Korea in October, had been helping with the construction of a nuclear reactor in Syria, Japan's public broadcaster said.

(visit the link for the full news article)

They're really pushing the North Korean bit arent they. This one is interesting considering the North Koreans had already tested Nuclear weapons, and if they are sharing that info with Syria, it is likely the Syrians are sharing it with the Iranians.
My two cents.

www.bloomberg.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

It is very intriguing that they were sent back and adds to why Syria didn't make a fuss after Israel bombed the place. I am wondering why this is all coming out now. Perhaps some back room agreement couldn't be met?

I'm still trying to figure out what that building really looked like. Some of the pictures of it looked like the building was made out out of plywood by homeless people. If there were 10, maybe there were a few hundred that have been working at this site also. I still wonder if the site was a fake.

Originally posted by ppskylight

the North Koreans had already tested Nuclear weapons

I wonder if they really did. Actually I doubt it. I believe they tested a "nuclear device" bought on the black market, and not a nuclear bomb they've made themselves. I don't believe NK have nuclear weapons. But maybe they still have a couple of "devices".

And regarding this incident in Syria, I bet the NK scientists were there to help Syria test a similar device

Originally posted by Hellmutt

Originally posted by ppskylight

the North Koreans had already tested Nuclear weapons

I wonder if they really did. Actually I doubt it. I believe they tested a "nuclear device" bought on the black market, and not a nuclear bomb they've made themselves. I don't believe NK have nuclear weapons. But maybe they still have a couple of "devices".

Well considering the lack of good results shown from the N.Korean test (It wasn't very powerful from what I gather) I would assume it would likely be of their own design. (Considering their program is relatively primative by Western standards) Why buy a shoddy nuclear weapon on the black market when you can make one yourself, as N.Korea has apparently been trying to do with its program.

reply to post by ppskylight


It wasn't very powerful. Exactly. That's the smoking gun. It's harder to make a micronuke, than it is to make a Hiroshima size bomb. "Little Boy" (Hiroshima) had a blast yield of 13-16 kilotons. "Fat Man" (Nagasaki) had a blast yield of 21 kilotons. A suitcase nuke has a blast yield of 0,5 to 1,3 kilotons. The NK "nuke test" was 0,550 kilotons, what would be expected of a suitcase nuke.

A suitcase nuke is highly unlikely here. an unsuccesful attempt at a conventional weapon is clearly the case... Given their current nuclear program and their supposed involvment in the Syrian program, not to mention their pursuit of long range missile programs casts doubt on your speculation that the detonation was a black market suitcase nuke or a tactical nuke of some sort. The weapon was of their own design, and it was a shoddy design that didn't work properly. Even if they managed to get a tactical nuke they would be reverse engineering it to build their own.

This heavily censored CIA report from 1989 is interesting;
www.gwu.edu...

And this disturbing report from the North Korea Advisory Group
www.gwu.edu...

*edit, I mistakenly stated the test was in the ocean.
**added content

[edit on 27-4-2008 by ppskylight]

[edit on 27-4-2008 by ppskylight]