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CIA suspects N Korea producing plutonium: Report
Washington, July 04: The Central Intelligence Agency has revised its earlier estimates and now believes North Korea has begun re-processing spent nuclear-fuel rods into plutonium for weapons, the `Washington Times` reported.
Washington, July 04: The Central Intelligence Agency has revised its earlier estimates and now believes North Korea has begun re-processing spent nuclear-fuel rods into plutonium for weapons, the 'Washington Times' reported.
A senior unnamed US official close to the CIA review programme believed that "some re-processing could be under way," 'The Time' report said today. "If it is, we don't believe it is anywhere near completed," the official was quoted as saying.
A review of intelligence on rod-processing began in April after a North Korean negotiator on nuclear talks with us and china stated that the re-processing was nearly complete, it said.
The CIA review included re-examining intelligence that showed North Korea had imported plutonium secretly from Russian or a former soviet republic during the 1990s, it said. The CIA, in April, reported that Pyongyong was not separating the fuel, although trucks that could move the rods to a re-processing facility had been seen at a storage facility at the Yongbyon nuclear complex.
'The Times' reported that a senior Asian diplomat also said that new intelligence reports indicate the fuel re-processing was under way, although not completed.
Bureau Report
A review of intelligence on rod-processing began in April after a North Korean negotiator on nuclear talks with us and china stated that the re-processing was nearly complete, it said.
The CIA review included re-examining intelligence that showed North Korea had imported plutonium secretly from Russian or a former soviet republic during the 1990s, it said. The CIA, in April, reported that Pyongyong was not separating the fuel, although trucks that could move the rods to a re-processing facility had been seen at a storage facility at the Yongbyon nuclear complex.
'The Times' reported that a senior Asian diplomat also said that new intelligence reports indicate the fuel re-processing was under way, although not completed.
Bureau Report