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.
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