North Korea claims it conducted nuclear test. FromCNN…
SEOUL, South Korea (CNN) — North Korea on Monday claimed it has performed a successful nuclear test, according to that country’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
South Korean government officials also said North Korea performed its first nuclear test, the South’s Yonhap news agency reported.
The apparent nuclear test was conducted at 10:36 a.m. (0136 GMT) in Hwaderi near Kilju city, Yonhap reported, citing defense officials.
“The field of scientific research in the DPRK (North Korea’s official name) successfully conducted an underground nuclear test under secure conditions on October 9 … at a stirring time when all the people of the country are making a great leap forward in the building of a great prosperous powerful socialist nation,” KCNA reported.
Late Sunday in Washington, the U.S. military told CNN it believed the report to be true, but was working to fully confirm it.
Senior U.S. officials said they also believed the test took place.
Related UPDATE: Perhaps Condi should have filled that position. FromBloomberg last week…
Rice’s Delay in Replacing Zoellick Is Creating Diplomatic Gaps
By Janine Zacharia
Oct. 6 (Bloomberg) — Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s delay in replacing former deputy Robert Zoellick, who quit in June, is creating policy gaps on major issues from China to Sudan, U.S. foreign-policy analysts and officials say.
Zoellick, 53, announced in June that he was leaving the department’s No. 2 job to become a vice chairman at Goldman Sachs Group Inc. in New York, leaving Rice to grapple with crises in Iraq, Afghanistan, the Middle East, the Korean peninsula and Africa.
“It is surprising that during an incredibly consequential period for American foreign policy and national security, that we’re without a deputy at the State Department,” said Kurt Campbell, director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ International Security Program in Washington. “Condi is extraordinarily able, but it’s a big world out there.”
The void is particularly evident in Asia and Africa policy making, where Zoellick played a pivotal diplomatic role.
Condi–another one who should resign. What a complete diplomatic failure this is. And policy failure by Bush.