blog 3: north Korea and nuclear missiles

            On Tuesday North Korea conducted its third nuclear test. Pyongyang said, “The test was an act of self-defense against U.S. hostility and threatened stronger steps if necessary. With North Korea conducting their third nuclear test it is beginning to put pressure on our president and places China in a tight spot because they are trying to avoid escalating tensions. According to North Korea the nuclear tests that they had conducted in 2006 and 2009 wasn’t as powerful as the one that they just conducted and they also mentioned they use plutonium which is suitable for a missile warhead. When China summoned North Korean ambassador he mentioned that “China was strongly dissatisfied and resolutely opposed” to the nuclear test and he urged North Korea to “stop any rhetoric or acts that could worsen situations and return to the right course of dialogue and consultation as soon as possible.”  China felt the nuclear test was a major embarrassment to their country and also mentioned that they were North Korea’s sole major economic and diplomatic ally.  President Obama feels as if this test was a “highly provocative act:” Since North Korea is throwing these acts out our country Obama said that “he will take necessary steps to defend ourselves and our allies”.                                  When analyzing this argument all you see is North Korea trying to “out beat” the U.S. and China is the one who is trying to calm everyone down. In a way there is a strong connection between China and North Korea because China is the sole of their major economic and diplomatic helper. In another way you said North Korea trying to alienate the U.S. by testing the nuclear weapon, so it seems as North Korea is basically saying “do what we tell you and no one will get hurt” type ordeal. Then again U.S. is higher on the social stratification later and China is a tad bit higher then North Korea because China supplies them with things. In a bad sense it just seems as though North Korea is trying to start a war between them and the U.S., a war that isn’t even necessary at the moment. With this act that North Korea has taken has frightened the U.S. because now they are going to take necessary actions to get ready for whatever North Korea may send their way. Then all these actions could scare North Korean into firing the missile. The CIA announced that the weapon has a magnitude of 5.1 twice the magnitude of the weapon that they tested in 2009. To use that means we better get ready and we better get ready fast because each waking day they have they are going to gain more knowledge to make their weapons better than the last one. Mark Fizpatrick feels as that this nuclear test was a “huge insult to China” which now will probably have threats followed through with approvals. The whole purpose for North Korea to give the U.S. department advanced warning was to threaten the United States and South Korea with destruction.

North Korean nuclear test draws anger, including from China

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/12/us-korea-north-idUSBRE91B04820130212

LeeAnna Souther

02-14-2013 9:23pm