|
Unusual activity seen around
NKorea reactor
AFP
Tuesday April 17, 2007
US satellites have spotted unusual activity around North Korea's
nuclear reactor, South Korea's intelligence service said Tuesday,
and news reports said Pyongyang may be preparing to shut it down.
Dong-A Ilbo newspaper said the US images obtained Monday have been
shared with South Korea.
"The US took satellite images which captured unusual movements
of people and vehicles around the cooling tower and parking lot
in the Yongbyon nuclear facility," the paper said.
It said Washington and Seoul believe it is likely the activities
are part of operations to close down the reactor.
The National Intelligence Service said it was aware of the activity
but did not say what it might mean.
"There were some unusual movements there and we are now following
and analysing them," a spokesman told AFP.
Yongbyon is at the centre of a stalled six-nation nuclear disarmament
process.
The United States, China, the two Koreas, Japan and Russia reached
an agreement in February that North Korea disable its nuclear programmes
in exchange for a million tons of fuel oil or equivalent aid, plus
security and diplomatic benefits.
Under the first phase it was supposed by April 14 to have shut
down and sealed its reactor, which produces the raw material for
plutonium to make bombs, in the presence of UN atomic inspectors.
But the deadline slipped without action due to delays in freeing
up 25 million dollars in North Korean funds which had been frozen
in a Macau bank at US instigation.
The United States said the money at Banco Delta Asia was made available
last week.
INFOWARS:
BECAUSE THERE'S A WAR ON FOR YOUR MIND
|
