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| North Korea nuclear: Plutonium reactor 'restarted' | North Korea nuclear: Plutonium reactor 'restarted' |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| North Korea has restarted a plutonium production reactor that could provide a stockpile for nuclear weapons, US intelligence chief James Clapper says. | North Korea has restarted a plutonium production reactor that could provide a stockpile for nuclear weapons, US intelligence chief James Clapper says. |
| He also said the North had taken steps towards making an intercontinental ballistic missile system. | He also said the North had taken steps towards making an intercontinental ballistic missile system. |
| It comes days after the North launched a long-range rocket, which critics say is a test of banned missile technology. | It comes days after the North launched a long-range rocket, which critics say is a test of banned missile technology. |
| Last September Pyongyang said its main nuclear facility at Yongbyon had resumed normal operations. | Last September Pyongyang said its main nuclear facility at Yongbyon had resumed normal operations. |
| The reactor there has been the source of plutonium for its nuclear weapons programme. The North carried out its fourth nuclear test in January. | |
| North Korea's nuclear tests | North Korea's nuclear tests |
| How advanced is North Korea's nuclear programme? | How advanced is North Korea's nuclear programme? |
| "We assess that North Korea has followed through on its announcement by expanding its Yongbyon enrichment facility and restarting the plutonium production reactor," Mr Clapper told the Senate Armed Services Committee. | "We assess that North Korea has followed through on its announcement by expanding its Yongbyon enrichment facility and restarting the plutonium production reactor," Mr Clapper told the Senate Armed Services Committee. |
| "We further assess that North Korea has been operating the reactor long enough so that it could begin to recover plutonium from the reactor's spent fuel within a matter of weeks to months." | "We further assess that North Korea has been operating the reactor long enough so that it could begin to recover plutonium from the reactor's spent fuel within a matter of weeks to months." |
| Mr Clapper said that Pyongyang was also committed to developing a long-range, nuclear-armed missile "capable of posing a direct threat to the United States". | |
| He said it had publicly displayed a mobile intercontinental ballistic missile system and had taken "initial steps toward fielding this system, although the system has not been flight-tested". | |
| Experts have said that, when fully operational, the Yongbyon reactor could make one nuclear bomb's worth of plutonium per year. About 4kg of plutonium is needed in order to make a bomb that would explode with a force of 20 kilotons. | |
| Pyongyang has pledged several times to stop operations at Yongbyon and even destroyed the cooling tower in 2008 as part of a disarmament-for-aid deal. | Pyongyang has pledged several times to stop operations at Yongbyon and even destroyed the cooling tower in 2008 as part of a disarmament-for-aid deal. |
| However, in March 2013, following a row with the US and with new UN sanctions over a third nuclear test, it vowed to restart all facilities at Yongbyon. | However, in March 2013, following a row with the US and with new UN sanctions over a third nuclear test, it vowed to restart all facilities at Yongbyon. |
| Six-nation talks involving South Korea, the US, China, Japan and Russia aimed at ending the North's nuclear programme have been stalled since 2009. | |
| Pyongyang says it has made a device small enough to fit a nuclear warhead on to a missile, which it could launch at its enemies. However, US officials have cast doubt on the claim. |