North Korea Wants the Spotlight

North Korea says that it will go ahead with a nuclear test.

North Korea has said it plans to carry out a nuclear test, in the latest blow to efforts to convince the Stalinist state to end its drive for nuclear weapons.

Pyongyang said in a statement that it needed to strengthen its deterrent in response to increasing hostility from the US.

Taro Aso, the Japanese foreign minister, strongly condemned the announcement, saying it would be "totally unforgivable" for North Korea to go through with its plan.

It is the first time the North Korea has publicly announced its intention to conduct a nuclear test, though it has long claimed to have nuclear weapons.

In July the United Nations Security Council passed a unanimous resolution condemning Pyongyang's test-firing of seven ballistic missiles.

Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, has threatened a harsh raft of sanctions unless North Korea resumes six-party talks - with South Korea, China, Japan, Russia, and the US - on its nuclear weapons programme.

I think that Kim Jong Il is angling for a Nobel Peace Prize because he's managed to unify historical rivals like China, Philippines, Japan, South Korea, and the United States against his regime (see Jay Tea's posting today for more).

The ramifications of this move are far-reaching. Japan will almost certainly reconsider its constitution to permit a move to take more offensive capabilities, in addition to potentially developing nuclear weapons of its own. Japan already has significant processing capabilities and has the technological know-how to build ICBMs capable of reaching North Korea. South Korea may also move towards developing nuclear weapons of its own.

All this because a totalitarian dictator has decided to put building a nuclear weapon ahead of even feeding his country.

UPDATE:
Seems that the North Korea nuke test story is taking a back seat to the Foleygate mess and the mass murder in Amish country in PA. That shouldn't be the case, as the fallout from the North Koreans trying to detonate a nuclear device will be far more damaging than anything dished out in the Foleygate mess.

After all, we're talking about a totalitarian dictator with limited economic resources about to detonate his first nuclear weapon, and will likely provide the technical know-how and weapons to the highest bidders to further expand his personal wealth and power. Perhaps he thinks that a nuclear test will bring the US and the 6-Powers to the table and agree to his demands. That's a possibility, but then again, any such test could result in the 6-powers deciding to take an even more strident tone with North Korea, including sanctions and further action to isolate and limit North Korea's capabilities.

Also blogging: Blue Crab Boulevard, My Pet Jawa,