The state run North Korean Central News Agency ran a story a few days back claiming North Korea is armed with enough atomic weapons to launch pre-emptive strikes on the U.S..
The story also claimed the atomic bomb arsenal is sufficient to counter any serious threat from the U.S. should an invasion be launched against North Korea.
The fact that the North Korean Central News Agency carried the story means the information can be read as propaganda, but it is unclear why North Korea has determined this is the right time to bait the U.S. in this way, particularly after South Korea, China, Japan, Russia and the U.S. has been negotiating with North Korea to reign in its nuclear weapons program for almost three years.
From the North Korean Central News Agency (March 25, 2006) : "The arrogant and gangster-like U.S. leaves no means untried to achieve its aims. What the U.S. seeks is not a peaceful, negotiated solution to the nuclear issue between the DPRK and the U.S. but an all-out nuclear war against the north."In order to foil the U.S. imperialists' moves for aggression and war and achieve peace and independent reunification of Korea all Koreans in the north and the south and abroad, to say nothing of political parties and organizations and individuals, should unite close in their joint struggle.
"This is the only way out for them to survive. The warhawks of the military and ultra-right conservative forces of south Korea are joining the U.S. in its war moves against the north, increasingly depending on outside forces."
