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Missile Defense

Technology has always found its greatest consumer in a nation's war and defense efforts. Since the last attempts at a "Star Wars" defense system, has technology changed considerably enough to make the latest Missile Defense initiatives more successful? Can such an application of science be successful? Is a militarized space inevitable, necessary or impossible?

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lunarchick - 11:45pm Dec 4, 2002 EST (# 6347 of 6364)

Riots in East Timor

The very young revolted ... because they drew a blank

As in - no jobs, no training, no wages, no future

The international workers are seen as the only sector with visible disposable income.

Government was the center of the storm of attack. Businesses close by were ruined - jobs lost - and .... back in Darwin .... people who'd lost everything and had no insurance said - that's the way it is!

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Afghanistan - the money going in is also via the salaries of UN type workers.

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The above demonstates that developing economies, from the ground up, from scratch, is complex and has to be more carefully thought through!

How are jobs conjured?

lunarchick - 12:19am Dec 5, 2002 EST (# 6348 of 6364)

N Korea rejects nuclear call

December 05, 2002

NORTH Korea has rejected a call by the UN nuclear monitoring agency for the communist country to abandon its nuclear weapons program and allow foreign inspections.

North Korean Foreign Minister Paek Nam Sun said the November 29 resolution was "extremely unilateral," the North Korean official news agency KCNA reported.

The International Atomic Energy Agency's resolution urged North Korea to "give up any nuclear weapons programs expeditiously" and open "all relevant facilities to IAEA inspection and safeguards."

"Paek clarified that the Government cannot accept the ... resolution," KCNA said, citing a letter sent on Monday from Paek to director-general IAEA Mohamed ElBaradei.

The White House denounced the decision and said it would work with other countries in the region to find a peaceful solution.

"The rejection of the IAEA resolution to open its facilities to inspections is another disappointing example of North Korea's isolation that will only hurt the people of North Korea," White House press secretary Ari Fleischer said yesterday.

"We will continue to apply this pressure to North Korea by working in partnership with Russia and China ... as well as Japan and South Korea. The region has a peaceful interest in working together so North Korea comes into compliance with international norms," he said.

In Vienna, the IAEA expressed "deep concern" about North Korea's response.

Paek's letter didn't respond to requests that North Korea "clarify reports of its having an undeclared uranium enrichment program," IAEA spokeswoman Melissa Fleming said yesterday.

North Korea also left unanswered the IAEA's request for high-level talks in Vienna on October 18, Fleming said.

"Dr ElBaradei is reiterating his deep concern about the situation, his readiness to discuss all nuclear-related matters" with North Korea, Fleming said.

The IAEA previously had said it may take the matter to the UN Security Council if North Korea rejected its resolution.

US diplomats say North Korea revealed in October it had a nuclear weapons program in violation of a 1994 agreement with the United States. The accord called for the country to freeze and eventually dismantle its nuclear weapons program in exchange for international aid to build two power plants.

The United States, with backing from Japan, South Korea and the European Union, decided to punish North Korea by suspending free fuel oil shipments beginning in December.

North Korea responded by declaring the 1994 agreement "collapsed."

Paek blamed the crisis on "hostile" US policies and accused the IAEA of treating North Korea unfairly.

"I was disappointed at the IAEA board of governors still acting under the manipulation of the United States," Paek said.

Little is known about North Korea's nuclear program.

The IAEA has inspectors in North Korea but their activities are limited to monitoring an old nuclear complex north of Pyongyang and a reactor at another site.

North Korea once showed IAEA inspectors about 100 grams of weapons-grade plutonium - not enough to make a weapon - but US officials believe the country has produced enough for several nuclear weapons.

US officials also say they have evidence that North Korea has been running a new weapons program, using enriched uranium.

Pyongyang accuses the United States of delaying construction of the power plants promised under the 1994 agreement.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,5622475%5E1702,00.html

lunarchick - 01:43am Dec 5, 2002 EST (# 6349 of 6364)

GU talk thread HenryK " .... wasn't aware that Kissinger was involved in all of this stuff!"

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