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North Korea has continued to upgrade its only known nuclear reactor used to fuel its weapons program, satellite imagery has shown, despite ongoing negotiations with the US and a pledge to denuclearise.
Infrastructure improvements at the Yongbyon nuclear plant are "continuing at a rapid pace", according to an analysis by monitoring group 38 North of commercial satellite images taken on 21 June.
The cooling system for the plutonium production reactor has been modified and at least two new non-industrial buildings have been built on the site, possibly for use by visiting officials. A new engineering office building has been completed and construction has continued on support facilities throughout the complex, according to a blog post written by Frank V Pabian, Joseph S Bermudez Jr and Jack Liu.
"Infrastructure improvements continue at Yongbyon," Jenny Town, managing editor of 38 North, wrote on Twitter. "Underscores reason why an actual deal is necessary, not just a statement of lofty goals."
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jun/27/north-korea-nuclear-reactor-upgrades-summit-pledges
(Score: 5, Insightful) by NotSanguine on Wednesday June 27 2018, @08:43PM (9 children)
Things went pretty much as I expected. In fact, I'm not sure why *anyone* expected anything different.
And I'm not a scholar of international relations, nor do I work within that field.
If the outcome was obvious to me, why wasn't it obvious to those who are paid by my tax dollars to be experts?
I suspect that this was pretty much what everyone expected, including the Trump administration.
The question then becomes, "Why do this when we knew it wouldn't work and would likely embolden other bad actors to obtain nuclear weapons, since engagement directly with the U.S. president raises Kim Jong-Un's credibility?"
Does that make me an enemy of peace? Does questioning flawed strategies and pointing out that they failed "just like pretty much everyone knew they would," make me a celebrant of such failure?
One of the good things about freedom of expression is that we can express our thoughts and ideas, especially those about the tactics and strategies of our elected officials, without fear of retribution.
Do *you* think the meeting between Trump and Kim was a good idea? Did you really think that Kim would dismantle the nuclear program that (whether through miscalculation, ignorance, showboating or other idiocy) has raised his profile and made him more of a player on the world stage?
If you do feel that way, why? If not, why not?
Attempting to beat up on DeathMonkey for expressing his opinion (not for the ideas expressed in the opinion either, but for the tone you sensed from it) doesn't add to the discussion, nor does it advance any ideas or opinions you might have. Perhaps you might share some.
Or not. That's up to you.
No, no, you're not thinking; you're just being logical. --Niels Bohr
(Score: 4, Insightful) by digitalaudiorock on Wednesday June 27 2018, @09:42PM (4 children)
By that you're referring to the state department, and the fact is, it probably was obvious to them. Remember however that Trump has always viewed that department as a bunch of know-nothing "career bureaucrats" and has all but totally decimated it. But you know...he knows everything right?
The other theory, which all of his actions these days supports, is that he really doesn't care about anyone/anything outside of his hardcore base...the ones that saw nothing but the photo-op and still thinks he deserves a Nobel piece prize. All of his actions scream that one...like the way he clearly doesn't really want the house to do anything on immigration, because he loves having his hot button issue.
Someone explain to me exactly how this guy has a 90% approval rating among Republicans...enviable by just about every former president. Seriously...he's a fucking train wreck even if you somehow agree with his ideologies.
(Score: 2) by digitalaudiorock on Wednesday June 27 2018, @09:44PM
(missed a closing italics tag there...only intended that for "if").
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 28 2018, @01:28AM (1 child)
And, again, we have an example of someone using a word, and wondering if they even understand the word. Totally decimated? Is that supposed to infer something like total destruction? Apparently, totally decimated is something worse than decimation, but what is it exactly? HINT: A loss of 10% can't be seen as a total loss. Not in Roman times, and not in modern times.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 28 2018, @03:02AM
And, again, we have an example of a moron that lacks the mental capacity to make an argument against someone's points but still wants to feel like they are "winning" the argument. Why don't you be a good little jackass and go play with all your participation awards. The adults are trying to have a political flame-war here.
(Score: 2) by realDonaldTrump on Thursday June 28 2018, @04:14AM
Believe me, I'm going to end the Korean War. We'll have a tremendous deal on Korea. I'm going to get that Nobel Peace Prize.
Another for peace in Israel -- I'm making big progress there, I moved the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Our embassy is in Jerusalem, which everybody knows is the capital (everybody but the ostriches & babies). But we still have a branch office in Tel Aviv. Same building, it's not the embassy anymore, it's the branch office.
And the Middle East, ISIS (Crooked Hillary & Obama creation) is on the run. They're losing very badly. Syria, they have a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it. I moved very strongly against him. Another Nobel Peace Prize, I'm going to have three. One for each of my White Houses -- Washington, Bedminster and Mar-A-Lago!!!
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Thexalon on Wednesday June 27 2018, @09:55PM (1 child)
On that point, I'll just say nothing encouraged other countries to get nukes half as much as the US invasion of Iraq. The message that sent was extremely clear: "Have weapons of mass destruction that can seriously harm important allies? We'll leave you alone. Don't have any functional weapons of mass destruction? The US will say you do as an excuse to attack you whenever it's convenient, and if you're the leader of that nation you'll be killed." This message was confirmed during the NATO attack on Libya.
Kim Jong Un trying everything he can to get nukes that can hit the US mainland and possibly Europe is both a rational and smart decision. And he will never ever give them up, for the same reason.
The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
(Score: 1) by Aegis on Wednesday June 27 2018, @10:24PM
We know they have the bombs. And, the Defense Intelligence Agency seems to think they have the missiles. [washingtonpost.com]
(Score: 2) by driverless on Thursday June 28 2018, @02:40AM (1 child)
My feelings exactly, the headline should have read "Surprising Exactly No-one, [North Korea Making 'Rapid' Upgrades to Nuclear...]".
OK, "Surprising Exactly No-one but the World's Greatest Deal Maker...".
(Score: 3, Insightful) by janrinok on Thursday June 28 2018, @03:55AM
The title is exactly what the editor should be producing, IMHO.
We are not here to pass an opinion during the editing process - that is the reason for the subsequent discussion. The job is to report the story using the source material in an unbiased and accurate way. The source might be biased, as much reporting is nowadays, but it isn't the editor's job to take sides. And that should be just as true for the editor of the original source as it is for the SN editor,