September 20, 2004

These mullahs aren't birdwatching and they're not interested in missiles for "peaceful purposes!"

N. Korea Says Will Not Give Up Nukes

North Korea said Monday that it will not give up nuclear development in light of unauthorized nuclear experiments by South Korea,
[Yeah, whatever! Any port in a storm when it comes to Krazy Kim.--Jen]
where U.N. inspectors nuclear inspectors were conducting an investigation.
[...]
The comments, which echoed other North Korean statements in recent days, were another blow to troubled efforts to hold another round of talks aimed at persuading North Korea to end its nuclear weapons development. Last Thursday, North Korea said it would not attend planned six-party talks on its nuclear activities until South Korea fully discloses the details of its secret atomic experiments.

Aren't you glad you're not a South Korean, living next door to these nutburgers and wondering if they're going to blow you up?
(Boy, am I glad we're moving our troops off the border!)
Life must get pretty tiresome with all their sabre-rattling (or nuke-rattling, really) then they'll try and "make nice."
But, the NorK's threat was preceded by the mullahs':
Iran rejects UN nuclear demands

Iran has defiantly rejected calls from the UN nuclear watchdog to suspend all its uranium enrichment activities.

Tehran also vowed to block snap inspections of its nuclear sites if the issue is sent to the Security Council.
[...]
"This demand is illegal and does not put any obligation on Iran. The IAEA board of governors has no right to make such a suspension obligatory for any country."
[Well, they're right about that...and one step ahead of Kofi Annan on "international law," which is only as valid as the country(ies) involved want to acknowledge, but that being said, they've still subjected their country's nuclear program to the process.]

He said European countries were wrong in thinking Iran was only one step away from full enrichment; Iran was already at that point and could complete the nuclear fuel cycle "today" if it wanted.
[Who knows if they're telling the truth, but they probably are. Yikes!--Jen]

And he added that, if Iran was referred to the UN Security Council for punitive action, it would consider pulling out of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty altogether.
[Can you say "blackmail?"
The West is damned if it does and damned if it doesn't.
We might as well put the mullahs' feet to the fire.
I wonder what President Bush is gonna' say to U.N. on Tuesday....--J.T.]
[...]
The US has strong suspicions that Iran is using its nuclear programme to make weapons in secret.

Along with Israel, it is pushing the IAEA to refer Iran to the Security Council if it does not comply with the agency's demands. The Security Council could then impose sanctions.
[Oh, Lord...not "sanctions" like we tried to deal with Saddam's Iraq!
They're much closer to nukes than Saddam was...and sanctions don't work!
We know that now...thanks to Fox News's excellent special report that aired last night and Claudia Rossett's investigative journalism--Hint, hint, Dan Rather: This is what real investigative journalism looks like!]

"With every passing week, Iran moves that much closer to reaching the point where neither we, nor any other international body, will be able to prevent it from achieving nuclear weapons capacity," said chief US delegate Jackie Sanders on Saturday.

Nuclear experts have said the Parchin military complex, south-east of Tehran, may be a site for the research, testing and production of nuclear arms.
[...]
Iran also accused Britain, France and Germany of breaking an accord reached last year on Iran's co-operation with the IAEA.
[What Islamist BS!
We're not too fond of the weasel powers, but with Tony Blair helping them, I know they made their best efforts to run interference for Iran and the mullahs stabbed them in the back for their troubles!
Notice they refuse to take the blame for their own bellicosity and weapons-proliferation, but blame it on the West (European) not "keeping faith" with them and hiding their crimes for them from the rest of the international community. B@stards.]
[...]
In its resolution, the IAEA said its board of governors had judged that an Iranian promise made to the three European nations last year to suspend uranium enrichment activities had fallen short of expectations.
[Typical British understatement meaning "lied."]
[...]

The IAEA board of governors is next set to meet on 25 November to review Iran's alleged nuclear weapons programme.

This is our Thanksgiving.
The U.S. has a lot to be thankful for, but I don't think Iranian "clean hands" will be one of the blessings we'll be able to celebrate.
Hope I'm wrong, but these IslamoFacist tyrants are spoiling for bear now that their next door neighbors, Iraq and Afghanistan, have been liberated from Islamist theocracies and the al-Sadr insurgency in Iraq that they instigated, supported and funded didn't work either to re-establish the status quo.

With both the NorKs and the Mullahs making these bellicose announcements within 24 hours of each other, you've gotta believe that these 2 remaining members of the Axis of Evil are really functioning as an Axis.
(I'm sure it gives President Bush as little satisfaction as it does me to be right about this, however.)