Wednesday, August 30, 2017

It Appears That North Korea Is Preparing For Another Nuclear Test

North Koreans watch a news report showing North Korea's Hwasong-12 intermediate-range ballistic missile launch on electronic screen at Pyongyang station in Pyongyang, North Korea, in this photo taken by Kyodo August 30, 2017. Mandatory credit Kyodo/via REUTERS

Washington Times: U.S. sees signs of North Korean nuke test

Amid the latest North Korean missile test that overflew Japan, U.S. intelligence agencies recently detected increased activity at the North’s main underground nuclear testing facility in the northeastern part of the country that signal preparations for a sixth underground test blast.

U.S. officials familiar with intelligence reports said the test could come as soon as Sept. 9, coinciding with the anniversary of the founding of the reclusive communist state.

A U.S. intelligence official told Inside the Ring that North Korea has been conducting an unprecedented level of testing since early 2016 and that “we have not seen anything in their defiant posture to suggest this has changed.”

“North Korea is capable of testing a nuclear device at any time with little warning,” the official said. “The United States continues to monitor and assess the situation on the Korean Peninsula in close coordination with our regional allies and partners.”

Read more ....

Update: North Korea’s Punggye-ri Nuclear Test Site: New Media Reports of an Imminent Sixth Test Again Cannot be Corroborated -- North 38

WNU Editor: Every 2 months or so there are indications that North Korea may conduct a test .... most of the time it amounts to nothing .... but north Korea has alrady conducted 5 nuclear tests, and it should surprise no one that another one may happen at anytime.

Update #2: Is this the new normal? .... US must prepare for a decade of tensions, North Korea nuclear tests (Harry J. Kazianis, The Hill).

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