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September 11, 2004
NoKo "Anniversary" Mushroom Cloud Spotted By China

Two days ago, spotters in Beijing reported a large mushroom cloud in an area of North Korea where the Kim Jong-Il regime stations missiles, the Associated Press reports:

A large explosion rocked the northern part of North Korea, sending a huge mushroom cloud into the air on an important anniversary of the communist regime, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported Sunday.

Citing an unidentified source in Beijing, Yonhap said the explosion happened on Thursday in Yanggang province near the border with China. The damage and crater left by the explosion in Kim Hyong Jik county was big enough to be noticed by a satellite, the source said.

"We understand that a mushroom-shaped cloud about 2.2 miles to 2.5 miles in diameter was monitored during the explosion," Yonhap quoted an unidentified diplomatic source in Seoul as saying.

The timing of the explosion would indicate that it was no accident. The regime celebrates September 9th as its anniversary and usually finds rather spectacular ways to celebrate. In the twisted world of Kim Jong-Il, an above-ground nuclear detonation would be the best way of singing Happy Birthday To Us while reminding the world that their nuclear ambitions have yet to be sated.

Experts are still trying to confirm the nature and purpose of the explosion. Initial reports give little confidence that it was an innocent accident; the magnitude is described as larger than their catastrophic train explosion earlier this year, which killed 160 people and injured over 1300. That explosion was a mistake -- this one appears to be a message.

Sphere It Digg! View blog reactions
Posted by Ed Morrissey at September 11, 2004 10:36 PM

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Listed below are links to weblogs that reference NoKo "Anniversary" Mushroom Cloud Spotted By China:

» Did North Korea Test a Nuke? from The American Mind
I'm skeptical for two reasons: If this test happened two days ago wouldn't North Korea have bragged about it already?... [Read More]

Tracked on September 11, 2004 11:23 PM

» Mushroom Cloud in N. Korea from RIGHT ON RED >>
From the AP, via Captain's Quarters: mushroom cloud over 2 miles in diameter was seen in North Korea two days ago. Drudge is linked to this NY Times article which was apparently written before Chinese confirmation of the explosion. [Read More]

Tracked on September 11, 2004 11:27 PM

» Mushroom Clouds from Christian Grantham
Here is a timeline of nuclear development in North Korea. You can add thursday's nuclear explosion to it. Note President Bush's lack of engagement for two full years only to engage in a war of words that has now delivered... [Read More]

Tracked on September 11, 2004 11:48 PM

» Large Mushroom Cloud Observed in North Korea from Blogs of War
A reliable source in Seoul’s diplomatic community says Sunday a mushroom cloud with a radius of 3.5 to 4 kilometers was spotted in Kimhyongjik County in North Korea’s northernmost inland province of Yanggang on Sept. 9. [Read More]

Tracked on September 12, 2004 12:19 AM

» North Korean Explosion Not Nuclear from CALIFORNIA YANKEE
CNN reports that the huge explosion that shook North Korea's northernmost province on Thursday and produced a mushroom cloud was not the result of a nuclear explosion. The explosion was reported to have taken place "not far" from a military [Read More]

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» North Kerea May Have Tesed Nuclear Weapons from Passionate America
I believe it was a nuclear explosion. If we [bloggers] can prove that it was a nuclear explosion, Bush should test a few nukes in North Korea. [Read More]

Tracked on September 12, 2004 2:57 PM



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