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North Korea Warned Against Testing Nukes

Over a month after the Stalinist government of North Korea tested several short-range and one failed long-range ballistic missiles, U.S. President George W. Bush has warned Pyongyang against testing a nuclear weapon. "If North Korea were to conduct a test, it`s just a constant reminder for people in the neighborhood, in particular, that North Korea poses a threat. We expect our friends and those sitting around the table with us to act in such a manner as to help rid the world of the threat."

It was reported last week that a certain U.S. intelligence agency observed suspicious movement at a suspected North Korean test site. It quoted a senior State Department official as saying a nuclear test was a "real possibility." Officials at the White House, out of genuine concern for national security and international stability, would not confirm or deny the report, saying merely that the President cannot talk about intelligence information.

In Seoul, a South Korean official told news agencies that he is skeptical of the reports, while even one senior U.S. official downplayed the possibility of early nuclear test, saying "There`s a lot less to that report than meets the eye." Even so, South Korea has a "Sunshine Policy" with the dictatorial, oppressive regime to the north that seeks re-unification with the south not in democracy, but in reclusive authoritarianism.