memeorandum: Did North Korea Call or Bluff? (Confederate Yankee)

1:20 PM ET, October 9, 2006

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Reported Test 'Fundamentally Changes the Landscape' for U.S. Officials — North Korea's apparent nuclear test last night may well be regarded as a failure of the Bush administration's nuclear nonproliferation policy. — Since George W. Bush became president, North Korea has restarted …

Discussion: The Huffington Post, AMERICAblog, Democrats.com and First Read

David E. Sanger / New York Times:

World Leaders Condemn North Korea — North Korea said Sunday night that it had set off its first nuclear test, becoming the eighth country in history, and arguably the most unstable and most dangerous, to proclaim that it has joined the club of nuclear weapons states.

Discussion: Unclaimed Territory, Liberty and Justice, The Duck of Minerva and LamontBlog

Captain Ed / Captain's Quarters:

Russia Flacks For Kim Jong-Il — The seismic record of today's nuclear test by North Korea reveals a very small impact, almost so small that nuclear experts wonder if it isn't a hoax by Kim Jong-Il. Russia, however, wants everyone to know that they're very impressed by the test:

Discussion: The Adventures of Chester, Austin Bay Blog, Clayton Cramer's BLOG, Wizbang, ShrinkWrapped, QandO, Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog and Barcepundit

BBC:

Outcry at N Korea 'nuclear test' — North Korea's claim to have successfully carried out a nuclear weapon test underground has sparked international condemnation. — President George W Bush said the US was working to confirm the claim, which he branded a "provocative" act.

Discussion: Discourse.net, Political Animal and Power Plays

Washington Post:

N. Korea Claims Nuclear Test — Geologists in South Detect Man-Made Blast — North Korea declared on Monday that it had conducted its first nuclear test in defiance of international calls for restraint, claiming to be the world's newest nuclear power. — South Korean geological officials …

David E. Sanger / New York Times:

N. Korea Reports 1st Nuclear Arms Test — North Korea said Sunday night that it had set off its first nuclear test, becoming the eighth country in history, and arguably the most unstable and most dangerous, to proclaim that it has joined the club of nuclear weapons states.

Discussion: The Huffington Post, Bradford Plumer, The Mahablog, The Carpetbagger Report, Happy Furry Puppy Story …, The Next Hurrah, CNN Political Ticker, Ezra Klein, AMERICAN FUTURE, Talking Points Memo, Daily Kos, USS Neverdock, PoliBlog and The American Street

ArmsControlWonk:

NORK DATA: It was a DUD [3] — HA HA HA HA. — I love the US Geological Survey. — They've published lat/long (41.294°N, 129.134°E) and Mb estimates (4.2) for the North Korean test. — There is lots of data floating around: The CTBTO called it 4.0; The South Koreans report 3.58-3.7.

Discussion: AMERICAblog

Stephen Fidler / Financial Times:

Analysis: North Korea test a sign of weakness — North Korea's probable test of a nuclear weapon on Monday has triggered the second nuclear crisis in 13 years on the Korean peninsula. — In 1993, North Korea announced it would pull out of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty …

Discussion: Daily Kos

Allahpundit / Hot Air: Video: Bush on North Korean nuke test; Update: Equivalent to …

Ben Johnson / Front Page Magazine:
The Left's Diplomacy Pays Off

Discussion: Newsweek, The Fourth Rail, The Mahablog, Fausta's blog, Stop The ACLU, Blogs for Bush and Hang Right Politics

Associated Press: Russia: NKorea test greater than reported

Associated Press:
North Korea says nuclear test successful

Confederate Yankee:
Did North Korea Call or Bluff?

Discussion: Instapundit.com

CNN:
North Korea claims nuclear test

Discussion: Op For, BBC, Outside The Beltway, AMERICAblog, Balloon Juice, NewsHog, Daimnation!, Reuters, QandO, Blogs of War, The Education Wonks and The Radio Equalizer

Wonk / Defense Tech: NORK NUCLEAR TEST: IT'S A DUD

Katherine Shrader / Associated Press:
U.S. detects seismic event in N. Korea

Discussion: Associated Press, Telegraph, Captain's Quarters, NewsHog and The Washington Note

Agence France Presse:
North Korea may be preparing second test: intelligence

Discussion: AMERICAN FUTURE and The Political Pit Bull

Thomas M. DeFrank / NY Daily News:

Scandals stymie W's momentum — DAILY NEWS WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF — WASHINGTON - Suddenly, like the fierce "blue northers" that sweep across Texas each autumn, the political winds have turned bleaker for Republicans - and President Bush's private mood has blackened accordingly.

Discussion: The Heretik and AMERICAblog

Robert Novak / Chicago Sun Times:

GOP hopefuls hope Hastert stays away — The survival of J. Dennis Hastert as speaker of the House of Representatives will produce an uncomfortable scene Thursday at the Hilton Chicago. President Bush is the principal attraction at a reception to fund congressional candidates …

Discussion: New York Times

Reuters:

Clashes in Iran to defend critical cleric: reports —Text+TEHRAN (Reuters) - Supporters of a senior Shi'ite Muslim cleric who has challenged Iran's system of clerical rule have clashed with police during a protest outside the cleric's house, Iranian media reported on Sunday.

Discussion: Politics Central and Gateway Pundit

Noam Cohen / New York Times:

At Reuters, a New Book and a Lost Job — On Tuesday, Joe Maguire, one of two editors in charge of markets coverage at Reuters, handed his bosses the galleys of his new book, "Brainless: The Lies and Lunacy of Ann Coulter." On Wednesday, Mr. Maguire discovered he would have plenty of free …

Discussion: NewsBusters.org and Gawker

Jonathan Weisman / Washington Post:

Lawmaker Saw Foley Messages In 2000 — Page Shared Exchanges With GOP Rep. Kolbe — A Republican congressman knew of disgraced former representative Mark Foley's inappropriate Internet exchanges as far back as 2000 and personally confronted Foley about his communications.

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, Firedoglake, About U.S. Politics, The Democratic Daily, La Shawn Barber's Corner, TPMCafe blogs, PoliBlog, MyDD, The American Street, The Moderate Voice, The Carpetbagger Report, PBD, DownWithTyranny!, All Spin Zone and AMERICAblog

MSNBC:

MTP Transcript for Oct. 8 — MR. TIM RUSSERT: Our issues this Sunday: Only 30 days until the midterm elections. How will the Foley congressional page scandal and the war in Iraq affect the voters? The Democrats must gain six seats to take control of the U.S. Senate.

Discussion: Andrew Sullivan, PUB DEF and Daily Kos