Il-matic.
ACW Reader DS passes along this nugget, from the Dong-A Ilbo. It pretty much speaks for itself:
According to U.S. special envoy to North Korea Jack Pritchard on December 23, the U.S. notified North Korea of the so-called “nuclear red line,” which means that the U.S. will take strong measures if North Korea transfers nuclear materials to a third country in August last year.
[snip]
Mr. Pritchard also added, “It is obvious that the Bush administration does not care about North Korea’s possession of a small amount of nuclear material.”
Yes, it is.
Why so little coverage on the possibiality that North Korea lost a supply depot for thier long range missles. And so close to the Chinese border. Is it and accident. Or the chinese saving face and stalling thier troubled neighbor. The rhetoric slowed after this date elections or not. ref http://globalsecurity.org/wmd/world/dprk/yongo_dong.htm
ACW coverd the explosion on 12 September 2004, when it occurred.
An accident is far more plausible explanation than a Chinese military action. North Korean rhetoric has not changed after the explosion.
Curt Weldon, for example, believes that a top North Korean official told him that Pyongynang possessed nuclear weapons.