Despite U.S. aid, N. Korea still seeking nukes

Everyone's favorite Communist state is at it again.

Not the one with the cigars, but the one the United Nations told specifically not to produce any nuclear weapons: North Korea.

According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, North Korea booted out U.N. weapons inspectors from the Yongboyon nuclear facility on Sept. 24, 2008.

This is the same facility used in pervious attempts to make nuclear weapons.

Despite the current United States administration's efforts to keep nukes out of the hands of North Koreans, their government seems determined to build surpluses of these unnecessary weapons.

According to the South Korean press, North Korea recently began testing engine components for intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICMB) with an estimated range of 6,200 miles.

These would be more than capable of striking targets along our west coast. In addition, North Korea already has a surplus of enough weapons-grade plutonium to make about 10 missiles.

This is the thanks the U.S. receives for the gift of 37,000 tons of wheat delivered last June in an effort to feed over five million starving North Korean civilians.

Apparently, the North Korean government used all the money they saved to build some new weapons to threaten those giving them aid. Talk about irony.

On top of all this, Kim Jong-Il has supposedly suffered a stroke which the North Korean press have ignored completely.

Such is the glory of state-run news media.

Other sources have reported on the current, uncompensated state of the North Korean leader, but unfortunately, North Korea does not allow the broadcast or circulation of any foreign press.

According to the L.A. Times, North Korean citizens refuse to comment on or deny the rumors of the current state of their leader ,with the exception of one man who claimed Kim Jong-Il is in perfect health.

Kim Jong-Il has been missing from public activity for almost two weeks at this point.

Instead of stabilizing their economy or feeding their citizens, North Korea has seemingly decided to blow their funding on developing weapons that most of the world told them they could not have.

In the process of their little rebellion from the U.N., North Korea has lost the support of those who would have otherwise given them aid.

This is certainly not a wise diplomatic gesture for North Korea to be making.

Jeff Ferland is a senior majoring in journalism. He can be contacted at jferland@keeneequinox.com.