North Korea test - did it happen
October 13th, 2006 by ashish
CNN is running this article that says that US tests of the air over the Korean peninsula shows on trace of radioactive debris. This could happen if the North Koreans successfully sealed the site, or if the test was a very low intensity test. Another possibility is that the test was actually conventional explosives used at a scale that would match the probable range of a nuclear device. Or it could be a possibility that the air test was defective and was unable to actually detect radioactive debris. The one thing that is know for sure is that the North Koreans said that they conducted a test, and there was a seismic disturbance.
It would be good if the test was actually conventional explosives and not an atomic test, although at this point, there is no confirmation either way. If this happens, some of the tension in the region would get reduced, although not fully. It would also confirm that anything that the North Koreans say or agree to should be taken with a pinch of salt, and should have additional confirmation.
A non-test after all these happenings would allow an opportunity to back off from the various stances taken by different nations. At the same time, the attempt to punish North Korea should continue, This is needed to convince North Korea that there will be punishment for its various acts and actions, and will also serve as a precedent for other nations watching to see the response.
