Talk of 6 N Korean nukes worries US, UN

CNN television Sunday asked International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei if North Korea had as many as six nuclear weapons.

"I think that would be close to our estimation," he said.

"We knew they had the plutonium that could be converted into five or six North Korea weapons.

"We know that they had the industrial infrastructure to weaponise this plutonium. We have read also that they have the delivery system."

ElBaradei's comments came two days after the New York Times reported that US officials familiar with satellite and intelligence data believed the Stalinist state was building a reviewing stand and filling in a tunnel, signs of a potential underground nuclear test.

US officials have been urging North Korea to rejoin China, Japan, Russia and South Korea to join the United States in so-called six-party talks, which have been stalled since June, when the North quit the talks, citing "hostile" US policy.

North Korea declared on February 10 that it had developed nuclear weapons to defend itself from the United States.

However, the pace of events picked up this week, with press and IAEA reports on North Korea's nuclear weapons and delivery capabilities.

As recently as April 29, the Pentagon referred to North Korea's ability to arm a long-range missile with a nuclear warhead as "theoretical."