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Sri Lanka: One Island Two Nations
A Brief Colonial History Of Ceylon(SriLanka)
Sri Lanka: One Island Two Nations
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Thiranjala Weerasinghe sj.- One Island Two Nations
?????????????????????????????????????????????????Wednesday, August 1, 2018
North Korea: Renewed activity at nuclear and missile factory
NORTH KOREA is building new ballistic missiles at a known nuclear site
despite warming ties with the US and promises to begin denuclearisation,
US intelligence agencies have found.
Officials told The Washington Post that
new evidence has been obtained, including satellite photos, that
indicate work is being carried out on at least one and possible two
Intercontinental Ballistic missiles (ICBMs) at a facility in Sanumdong.
It is reportedly the same factory that produced the country’s first
missile capable of striking mainland United States.
This is not the first piece of evidence to suggest Pyongyang is forging
ahead with its weapons development despite being engaged in arms talks
with senior White House officials.
In June, North Korea monitoring group 38 North discovered ongoing improvements being
made to the Yongbyon Nuclear Scientific Research Centre, the only known
nuclear reactor used to fuel its weapons programme.
A secret underground uranium enrichment site, thought to have twice the
enrichment capability of Yongbyon, was also discovered at Kangson.
Images, first reported by the Diplomat,
show a football-field-size building surrounded by a high wall, in North
Korea’s Chollima-guyok district, southwest of the capital.
This has led US intelligence officials to conclude that North Korea does
not intend to fully surrender its nuclear stockpile and is instead
attempting to conceal the number of weapons it has in secret production
facilities.
These discoveries follow a June summit between US President Donald Trump
and Kim Jong Un, at which the North Korean leader signed an agreement
to work towards the “complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula.”
The agreement, signed in Singapore, contained no details or timeline
against which progress could be measured. And despite several meetings
between high-level officials, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo,
North Korea has shown little signal that they are willing to disarm.
The report from The Post claims
North Korean officials have, in fact, discussed their intention to
deceive Washington about the number of nuclear warheads and missiles
they have, as well as the type and number of facilities.
US agencies reportedly believe North Korea’s strategy to dupe inspectors
is to dispose of 20 warheads, claiming it is their entire arsenal,
while still retaining dozens more in hidden locations.
Satellite photos of the Sanumdong plant also show daily movement of
supply trucks that show categorically that work at the site has not been
shut down.
In one image taken on July 7, a trailer previously known to be used for
the transport of ICBMs was spotted in the loading area of the facility.
It is unknown if it was being used for the same purpose.
Observers are unsurprised that North Korea is showing no signs of giving
up its nuclear weapons. Kim is aware that the deterrent the weapons
provide may be the only thing that prevents the toppling of his family’s
regime.