N.Korea can put warhead on missile: experts (Reuters)

N.Korea can put warhead on missile: experts

By David Morgan
Reuters
Thursday, November 2, 2006; 2:05 PM

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - North Korea has the ability to put a nuclear warhead
onto a medium-range missile and threaten its regional neighbors, especially
Japan, some U.S. experts believe.

With North Korea preparing to return to six-party talks on its nuclear program,
scientists and other analysts stress that few facts are known about the
reclusive country's capabilities and conclusions depend largely on
circumstantial evidence.

U.S. intelligence officials say there is no evidence that North Korea has
physically "mated" a warhead to a medium-range Rodong missile, let alone
has nuclear-armed Rodongs ready for launch. Some officials believe Pyongyang
has yet to meet the engineering challenge of arming a missile.

But word that the North Koreans tested a relatively small nuclear device
on October 9 is bolstering assertions that Pyongyang has moved directly
to a warhead for its medium-range arsenal.

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