Word: fueled
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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...next act begins. Even if some plutonium was diverted in 1989, it was enough for no more than one or two bombs. The fuel rods Pyongyang has just removed from the reactor will have to cool for about a month. After that, if the North Koreans reprocess them, they will remove all evidence of past extractions and, more important, acquire enough plutonium for five additional bombs...
...there is no signal that they plan to do that. The fuel rods in the cooling ponds are still being monitored by two IAEA inspectors and automatic cameras at Yongbyon. The catch is that North Korea has threatened to withdraw entirely from the nonproliferation treaty if the U.N., or the U.S. unilaterally, imposes sanctions. That would defeat Clinton's purpose, since it would mean the end of all inspections, no matter how imperfect. Washington would have to assume that Pyongyang was reprocessing the plutonium to build bombs. Pressure would increase to pile on the sanctions and begin reinforcing South Korea...
...Kims that they will be allowed to survive. If striking a deal with the West is their plan, they will be able to prove it by not withdrawing from the nonproliferation treaty as the sanctions campaign gets under way and by allowing the IAEA to keep tabs on the fuel rods...
...North Korean 5-MW nuclear reactor at Yongbyon has about 8,000 uranium fuel rods. Plutonium is created as a by-product of the reactor's operation...
...past two weeks, spent fuel rods were removed and stored in cooling ponds before the IAEA was able to tag 300 rods that would enable the agency to verify if any plutonium was diverted...