N Korea......Does it or doesn't it?

wolfix said:

The big thing in the news lately is that N Norea has set off a 'test." There has been some doubt among nations if the "test" has given off any radiation to prove it was a successful test.

A few hours ago I heard on TV that some minor radiation has been documented by the US [and I think Japan ]

Is N Korea a threat to world stability? Will the sanctions put forth recently by the UN have any effect?

There was some speculation that the North Koreans may have used TNT or some other highly explosive substance instead.

But we're getting mixed news here as well - was there a radiation affect from the explosion??

I am not sure that sanctions will have an effect in this instance.
NK is a very poor country as it is : the people there have nothing.
A few years ago it was reported that famine had broken out in regions of NK.
Sanctions only hurt the vulnerable.

NK have held out for face to face negotiations with the USA.
Of course, your country refused to engage : which is a pity because if sitting down face to face is all that is required to solve this problem then they should meet.
Even if nothing did result from such a meeting - it would leave the NK's with one less excuse to legitismise what they're doing at present.

limerickman said:

There was some speculation that the North Koreans may have used TNT or some other highly explosive substance instead.

But we're getting mixed news here as well - was there a radiation affect from the explosion??

I am not sure that sanctions will have an effect in this instance.
NK is a very poor country as it is : the people there have nothing.
A few years ago it was reported that famine had broken out in regions of NK.
Sanctions only hurt the vulnerable.

NK have held out for face to face negotiations with the USA.
Of course, your country refused to engage : which is a pity because if sitting down face to face is all that is required to solve this problem then they should meet.
Even if nothing did result from such a meeting - it would leave the NK's with one less excuse to legitismise what they're doing at present.

America is more than willing to engage in talks....but we expect the asian nations to be involved as well.

We have met with NK many times and have never made headway so Bush rightfully is not willing to do it again without the support of the other countries involved.

I agree with you on sanctions but what is the alternative?

BillM said:

America is more than willing to engage in talks....but we expect the asian nations to be involved as well.

We have met with NK many times and have never made headway so Bush rightfully is not willing to do it again without the support of the other countries involved.

I agree with you on sanctions but what is the alternative?

I don't know what the alternative is in this instance.
How can you influence a ruler who doesn't give a damn about his own people anyhow?
Sanctions won't deprieve NK's elite of anything, unfortunately.

Having a face to face with this leader is useless as the past has shown. The US has been more then fair w/NKorea, leading the way with aid to the people of N Korea.
Sanctions are a big concern for China. The Chinese realize that the refugees will pour into their country.
I feel S Korea and Japan will not allow the N Korean's get too far along with the technology to build a device that can be handled by a missile,. [f it is determined to have been a nuclear device that was tested recently. ]

One thing that sanctions have the ability to do..... Make the people rise up against the government. N Korea is having a hard time paying it's generals now. When the people rise up, chaos is caused. But it is chaos in the country involved and not outside the borders. Not that chaos is a good thing, but it is better to keep it contained to N Korea then to have it spill outside the borders.

MO: China has the capability and can have half it's population desimated and still mass an army larger than anyone.
NK always has big brother. China needs us consumers, but just don't push too far.