"Dav1936531" wrote in message

It'll be nuclear combat toe-to-toe with the North Koreans.
Dave

TOKYO (July 26) - North Korea is prepared to conduct a nuclear test
unless the United States responds positively to its proposals for
resolving a row over Pyongyang's weapons ambitions, Japanese and
North Korean sources were quoted as saying by a Japanese newspaper on
Saturday.

The Asahi Shimbun said this had been conveyed to U.S. envoy Jack
Pritchard by a North Korean official in a secret meeting between
officials from the two nations earlier this month.

Earlier this week, diplomatic sources in Tokyo told Reuters that the
North was ready to declare itself a member of the nuclear club,
opening the way for possible tests and increased production of
weapons, unless the nuclear crisis is resolved by September 9 -- the
anniversary of the communist nation's founding.

The Asahi said that a North Korean official told Pritchard: ''If the
United States continues its policy of pressure against us, we may be
forced to take opposing measures. Such as, for example, a nuclear
test.''

It added that there was a possibility that any test could take place
by September 9.

No Japanese foreign ministry officials were available to comment on
the report.

Pyongyang has said it has finished reprocessing spent nuclear fuel
that could allow it to make about half a dozen atomic bombs, but
doubts persist about the accuracy of its claims.

Cautious hopes of a breakthrough in the crisis over North Korea's
nuclear arms program have risen since China sent an envoy to
Pyongyang earlier this month, apparently to suggest a compromise
format for negotiations.

22:58 07-25-03

Bring it on, baby. One B2 with a crowd-pleaser and that's all Pyongyang
wrote.

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