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