Fred Harteis News Articles -  North Korea came under international condemnation today after boasting that it had tested a nuclear weapon, with strong criticism even from its allies, but there were doubts in the intelligence community about the strength of the device.

 

The United Nations Security Council today began working on a resolution condemning North Korea’s action, shortly after President Bush denounced the announcement of the test as a “provocative act,” one that requires an “immediate response.”

 

Mr. Bush said he had spoken this morning to the leaders of China, South Korea, Russia and Japan, and that they were all agreed that North Korea’s actions “are unacceptable and deserve an immediate response.”

 

Mr. Bush was careful to say that intelligence officials were still working to confirm North Korea’s statement. But he said that “such a claim itself constitutes a threat to international peace and security.” John R. Bolton, the American ambassador to the United Nations, said the members of the Security Council were unanimous in their disapproval of North Korea’s actions during a preliminary discussion this morning.

 

“No one’s defending it,” Mr. Bolton said of North Korea’s announcement. “No one came even close to defending it.”

 

While there was agreement among scientists that an explosion occurred, seismic readings raised questions about the size of the weapon and whether it worked properly. A successful nuclear test would be expected to have the same force as between 10 and 60 kilotons of high explosives. This one may have been less than one kiloton.

 

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http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/09/world/asia/09cnd-nuke.html?ex=1318046400&en=f526cdc6b21c61ed&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

 

Source: NyTimes.com

 

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