Tests have failed to detect any radioactive fallout

U.S. Officials: No Radioactivity Detected on Korean Peninsula

Friday, October 13, 2006

WASHINGTON — Tests have failed to detect any radioactive fallout in or around the Korean Peninsula, U.S. officials said Friday.

A U.S. military official confirmed to FOX News that an Air Force plane capable of sampling the atmosphere for radioactivity was dispatched to the region from the Kadena air base in Okinawa, Japan, following North Korea's claim of carrying out a successful nuclear test. The WC-135 plane did not pick up any traces of a nuclear explosion, said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.


Tests conducted by the Vienna-based Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization, the U.N. agency that has monitoring stations around the world, also failed to detect radioactive fallout in the region, according to a spokesperson for the group.

CountryWatch: North Korea
A Japanese government official said measurements taken in the area following North Korea's claim showed no sign of radioactivity.

U.S. military and intelligence cautioned Friday that the absence of evidence was not definitive proof that North Korea had not conducted a nuclear test, pointing out that other factors could prevent radioactivity from being detected.


The United States, which is seeking strong sanctions against North Korea in the U.N. Security Council, has yet to announce a final determination on the subject.

We will not have long to wait for an official "final determination" on the subject.

By calling North Korea's test a bluff and forcing Lil' Kim to loose face internationally - like the Korean scientist who faked cloning data recently - may be inviting something worse. It's a tightrope act with the admonition to be careful of what you say or inadvertently ask for.

U.S. says NKorea blast radioactive

http://today.reuters.com/news/articl...ries-newsOne-2

Fri Oct 13, 2006 7:56pm EThttp://i.today.reuters.com/images/spacer.gif

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A preliminary U.S. intelligence analysis has shown radioactivity in air samples collected near a suspected North Korean nuclear test site, a U.S. official said on Friday.

"That's right, though this is only a first look. People have been saying all along that the working assumption is it was a nuke," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

:confused:
Jag

Four hours??? Dang, I thought the radioactivity detection news would be announced quicker than that. I've been offline for a while so I could not keep track of how this leak would be reported and by whom.

Thanks Jag.

Fox news was announcing at about 4:30 or 5 PM my time last night. I mentioned it in chat in a game to Brian and some others.