North Korea Demolishes Nuclear Cooling Tower

As part of its process of appeasing the United States, South Korea, Russia, Japan, and China, North Korea demolished a cooling tower in Yongbyon on Friday, which is the most prominent symbol of the rogue nation's plutonium production, the Associated Press reports.

This is the second step this week toward the U.S.-led incremental process of nuclear disablement in return for a lifting of economic sanctions. North Korea submitted a declaration on Thursday to Chinese officials that accounts for part of its arms programs.

As a result, President George W. Bush has had North Korea removed from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism and issued a proclamation which lifts some sanctions imposed on North Korea, as a result of the Trading with the Enemy Act.

While already functionally disabled, the destruction of the Yongbyon complex, which is North Korea's only known source of plutonium, is largely a symbolic gesture to escape economic sanctions which have severely crippled the economy of North Korea.

As part of the deal, North Korea has been receiving fuel aid from the United States, South Korea, Russia, Japan and China.