North Korea expands nuclear arsenal, Chinese experts say

[JonLP24]

Source: USA Today

BEIJING — Nuclear experts in China have revealed that North Korea may already have 20 nuclear warheads and could double that arsenal by next year, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday. The total exceeds current U.S. assessments of the secretive state's nuclear weapons.

The Chinese experts believe North Korea has a greater domestic capacity to enrich uranium than previously thought, Siegfried Hecker, a Stanford University nuclear expert and former head of the Los Alamos National Laboratory, told the Journal.

The Chinese estimates were shared in a closed-door meeting with U.S. nuclear specialists in Beijing this February, said the report. The growing stockpile will complicate international efforts to halt Pyongyang's nuclear program, said Hecker, who attended the February meeting.

"I'm concerned that by 20, they actually have a nuclear arsenal," he said. "The more they believe they have a fully functional nuclear arsenal and deterrent, the more difficult it's going to be to walk them back from that."

Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2015/04/23/north-korea-nuclear-weapons-increased-estimate/26226981/

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Now this country scares me far more than Iran ever could since their propoganda is so bizarre & creepy I can't figure out their motives. I do agree the more they keep it up the more difficult it will be for them walk back from it.

[onehandle]

1. 'Chinese experts' are the reason North Korea has a nuclear arsenal. nt

[JonLP24]

2. Could be

Who really knows what is going on is behind the scenes

[sarisataka]

3. But do they have the new launch system from Syria?

[JonLP24]

4. Not sure if they have brains to pull it off

but I have no idea what the motives are or its just all a show -- the parades & banners everywhere celebrating the 3rd nuclear test. Crazy.

[sarisataka]

5. Back when I was

still in the military NK was the only country that really concerned us.

Every potential opponent from Russia to China to terrorists were a known quantity. They would always be expected to act rationally within their framework.

There is nothing rational about the DPRK.

[davidpdx]

6. I'm not scared and I'm a hell of a lot closer to North Korea than almost anyone on DU

First of all, we don't know for sure that those warheads are fully functional. Second, why should we trust the Chinese? Yes, they have quite a bit at stake as well and want to keep the peace, but they also want to maintain the status quo (as in continuing to prop up the North Korean Government to prevent the reunification of the two countries). Third, if they were to use any type of force it would first be aimed at either South Korea or Japan who are much closer targets and just as big of an enemy to them. Taking aim at either Japan or South Korea would increase the likelihood of a successful strike versus trying to lob a missile across the Pacific.

Finally for all the bitching and whining I hear on DU about the US having forces in Korea, Japan, and other places in the Pacific (Guam), if they were stupid enough to launch against the US these bases would be used to take out the missile before it hits the US.