| The U.S. Defense Department says it is
| |
| | about it, for example, picking up on
|
| still evaluating data from the explosion
| |
| | Internet traffic, voice messages, things
|
| and small earth tremor in North Korea on
| |
| | like that. In may be that the National
|
| Monday to determine whether it was in
| |
| | Security Agency will have some
|
| fact an underground nuclear test, as the
| |
| | information also," he said.
|
| North Korean government claims.
| |
| | Another analyst, former CNN reporter Mike
|
| Nearly two full days after the explosion
| |
| | Chinoy of the Pacific Council on
|
| in North Korea, U.S. officials, including
| |
| | International Policy, who has visited
|
| Pentagon Spokesman Bryan Whitman, cannot
| |
| | North Korea 14 times, says although it is
|
| say for sure whether it was a nuclear
| |
| | always difficult to know what the
|
| explosion or not.
| |
| | country's leaders are thinking, he cannot
|
| He said, "We're continuing to assess the
| |
| | imagine they would pretend to conduct a
|
| event to determine the veracity of the
| |
| | nuclear test.
|
| claim made by the North Korean government
| |
| | He said, "Without being privy to all the
|
| that they conducted an underground
| |
| | scientific and intelligence information,
|
| nuclear test."
| |
| | my own sense is that it would be unlikely
|
| Whitman says it takes time to analyze the
| |
| | for the North Koreans to risk the kind of
|
| seismic data, conduct atmospheric tests
| |
| | reaction they're getting around the
|
| and do other work he cannot discuss to
| |
| | world, politically, or to take the step
|
| determine what caused the explosion. And
| |
| | of announcing it this way, both the
|
| he notes that the work is being done in
| |
| | international community and their own
|
| several parts of the U.S. government and
| |
| | people, if they weren't trying to explode
|
| by government and private researchers
| |
| | something that had a nuclear component."
|
| around the world.
| |
| | Some analysts say the North Korean
|
| Former Defense Department technology
| |
| | explosion may have been a failed nuclear
|
| official Philip Coyle, who is now with
| |
| | test, or one that worked only partially.
|
| the Center for Defense Information, says
| |
| | The Washington Times newspaper quotes
|
| the North Korean event is particularly
| |
| | unnamed U.S. intelligence officials as
|
| hard to analyze.
| |
| | saying that is exactly what happened. And
|
| He said, "Well, a reason it's taking so
| |
| | a South Korean newspaper quotes a North
|
| long is that it appears to be quite a
| |
| | Korean diplomat as saying the same thing.
|
| small nuclear test. Perhaps less than a
| |
| | That would fit what is known so far about
|
| kiloton, which sounds like a lot but is
| |
| | the North Korean explosion. Philip Coyle
|
| actually small as nuclear devices go."
| |
| | at the Center for Defense Information
|
| The former official, who has 40 years of
| |
| | says there would not seem to be any
|
| experience in nuclear testing and
| |
| | reason for North Korea to do such a small
|
| evaluation, says it is difficult to
| |
| | test intentionally, but the secretive
|
| isolate the impact of such a small
| |
| | state might have wanted to keep the world
|
| explosion among all the seismic movements
| |
| | guessing.
|
| detected by sensors in the region.
| |
| | "If North Korea's purpose here is to be
|
| But he says once the event is isolated,
| |
| | seen as a major nuclear power, you might
|
| experts can determine whether it was an
| |
| | think they would want unambiguous test
|
| earthquake, a conventional explosion or a
| |
| | result[s]. But perhaps they meant to make
|
| nuclear detonation. He says a nuclear
| |
| | it small. It's hard to know," he said.
|
| explosion originates from a much smaller
| |
| | On Tuesday, White House Spokesman Tony
|
| source than an earthquake or conventional
| |
| | Snow said the world may never know for
|
| explosion of the same magnitude.
| |
| | sure whether the North Korean explosion
|
| In addition, Philip Coyle says efforts
| |
| | was nuclear. But the Pentagon spokesman,
|
| have no doubt been made to sample the air
| |
| | Bryan Whitman, said he believes experts
|
| near North Korea. But he says any exhaust
| |
| | will come up with a clear answer.
|
| from such a small test could be very
| |
| | He said, "We don't have to guess. We
|
| difficult to detect, and North Korea says
| |
| | don't have to speculate. We will know in
|
| there was no such exhaust.
| |
| | time. And when we know, I'm sure you'll
|
| Beyond that, Coyle says, intelligence
| |
| | know."
|
| agencies are also likely seeking
| |
| | Whitman would not say how long the
|
| indications of whether the test was real
| |
| | analysis will take, but testing expert
|
| or not.
| |
| | Philip Coyle says he thinks there should
|
| "There may be some intelligence that
| |
| | be a definitive answer within another
|
| intelligence agencies will be able to get
| |
| | couple of days.
|
