The U-S Senate Intelligence Committee believes North Korea is preparing for a nuclear test.

The New York Times on Sunday said committee chairman Pat Roberts told CNN that recent satellite photos are proof that the North is rapidly preparing for a test.

He said North Korean leader Kim Jong Il is using the nuclear card, the only one the North has left, to draw concessions from the intentional community.

John McLaughlin, former acting director of the Central Intelligence Agency, downplayed a possible nuclear test by the North, calling more long-range missile tests a bigger cause for concern.