Maybe NK did fake it -
MSNBC wrote:
WASHINGTON - Results from an initial air sampling after North Korea’s announced nuclear test showed no evidence of radioactive particles that would be expected from a large nuclear detonation, a U.S. government intelligence official said Friday.
The test results do not necessarily mean the North Korean blast was not a nuclear explosion, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to disclose the sampling results.
The U.S. government remains uncertain of the nature of the underground explosion, although the air sampling tends to reinforce earlier doubts about whether the test blast was entirely successful, officials said.
Data from seismic sensors indicated the explosion was smaller than expected. Scenarios include the possibilities that the explosion was caused by conventional explosives, that the site was so well sealed that no radioactive matter was released, or that it was such a small test that it did not yield enough radioactive debris to be picked up.
The air sample was taken Tuesday by a specialized aircraft, the WC-135, flying from Kadena air base in Okinawa, Japan. It apparently took the sample over the Sea of Japan, between the Korean mainland and Japan.
China: No radiation
In Beijing, a government official said Friday that Chinese monitoring also has found no evidence of airborne radiation from North Korea’s claimed nuclear test. The official with the State Environmental Protection Administration said China has been monitoring air samples since the test-explosion Monday.
“We have conducted air monitoring and found no radiation in the air over Chinese territory so far,” said the official, who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to publicly release the information. The official declined to explain how the Chinese monitoring was conducted.
The U.S. intelligence official said an initial result from testing of the U.S. air sample became available late this week. He said a final result would be available within days but the initial finding is considered conclusive.
It was not immediately clear whether the WC-135 took additional samples after the Tuesday effort.
U.S. officials have said during the past several days that it may never be known if Pyongyang conducted a nuclear test.
Bush: Claim is enough of a threat
When President Bush announced Wednesday that he wanted the United Nations and North Korea’s neighbors to take steps aimed at pressuring Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear program, Bush indicated that he saw little distinction between an actual nuclear test by North Korea and its announcement of one.
“The United States is working to confirm North Korea’s claim, but this claim itself constitutes a threat to international peace and stability,” Bush said.
Word of the test results came as the U.S. continued its diplomatic offensive at the United Nations and with Pyongyang’s neighbors, aimed at forcing North Korea to drop its efforts to develop nuclear weapons.
Members of the U.N. Security Council agreed Friday on the wording of a resolution that would clamp sanctions on the communist country. The draft would authorize non-military sanctions against the North, and it says that any further action the council might want to take would require another U.N. resolution.
It also eliminates a blanket arms embargo from a tougher, previous draft, instead targeting specific equipment for sanctions including missiles, tanks, warships and combat aircraft.
The United States, which has sought tough steps that could leave the door open to a blockade or other military action, has had to give ground to gain support from China and Russia. Those countries, along with South Korea, have been reluctant to abandon diplomatic efforts to resolve the standoff.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
