WNU Editor: With this North Korean nuclear test .... the Iran - Saudi Arabia war of words is going to take a back seat for the next day or two.
There is still no word from the White House on today's test .... but Asian countries are quickly condemning what has happened.
China is still quiet.
No word from Russia.
I am sceptical that this was a Hydrogen bomb test. I was told a long time ago that only a few people in the world (about 300) understood the physics and engineering required to assemble a Hydrogen bomb. This is in contrast to assembling an atomic bomb, where there are literally thousands who understand what is necessary to put together such a device .... but are limited by not having the nuclear material to put it together. Does North Korea have the expert(s) to build a Hydrogen bomb .... I doubt it .... and I will not be surprised if in the next few days nuclear experts will be assessing this test in the low kiloton-age range, while also saying that this was not a Hydrogen bomb test.
Will this nuclear test mean more sanctions against North Korea .... the answer is no. Sanctions are already extensive, and the only country that is in a position to influence North Korea is China .... and they have shown more than once in the past their lack of interest to put pressure on the North Korean government.
The UN is meeting on Wednesday to discuss this test. I expect nothing to come out of it.
Japan and South Korea are going to boost their defence budgets, and will be requesting Aegis/Patriot defence platforms.
This nuclear test is going to impact U.S. politics. It feeds into the narrative that the U.S. has lost influence on the world stage. Mind you .... I doubt that anyone in the Western world can influence the "Hermit Kingdom".
Expect stock and money markets to be hit when trading resumes on Wednesday .... U.S. Stock futures fall 1 percent on worrying news on China, North Korea (Reuters).
Update: This is a good read .... The real threat from North Korea is the nuclear arsenal built over the last decade (Siegfried S. Hecker, Bulletin of The Atomic Scientists)
2 comments:
I doubt this is a thermo nuke. It aint like dustin crops. I also doubt (hope too) the russkys and chinese didn't give them anything extra. It's probably a boosted weapon.
Dave, given the fact that the seismic readings are in the 6-20kt range, you're almost certainly correct. OTOH, it could have been a fizzle, or a miniaturized design to serve as a warhead.
Lots of things, but almost certainly NOT a successful 2-stage fusion test.
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