N.K. Already Has Three or Four Nukes

Citing U.S. administration officials, Newsweek reported that North Korea is predicted to have three or four nukes already in its July 28 issue.

According to the news magazine, South Korea`s military analysts are predicting that the North could start nuclear tests after finishing the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel rods within this October, or it could declare it has nuclear arms around September 9 marking the anniversary of the establishment of the North Korean government. The magazine points out that though the situation is so urgent, U.S. officials seem calm. Doves within the Bush administration are expecting that everything will end peacefully because China does not want a nuclear North Korea. On the other hand, hard-liners are smiling because "the worse the North acts, the easier it will be to isolate and strangle the regime." However, citing a senior official of the Bush administration, Newsweek added that there is still the possibility that the communist country can provoke a war by exporting nuclear material.

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