North Korea says it has successfully tested a hydrogen bomb in its sixth nuclear test.

Kim Jong Un inspects what the North Korean government says is a nuclear warhead capable of being mounted on a ICBM. Reuters. 

North Korea has claimed that it successfully tested a hydrogen bomb in what is sure to be a dramatic escalation of tension on the Korean peninsula. Reuters. The announcement comes after scientists detected a major earthquake 10 to 20 times more powerful than the one caused by North Korea's last nuclear test last year. There is no independent confirmation that the device was a hydrogen bomb, but the increase in energy output makes it a possibility. North Korea claims that the device was designed to be placed on an ICBM and the rouge nation has tested a missile that could theoretically hit the United States. The test has been condemned by multiple governments including North Korea's sole remaining ally, China. The blast was powerful enough that it was felt across the border in China. 

My Comment:

So much for the idea that North Korea was going to reign in their saber rattling. This is a direct challenge to everyone else in the region including their Chinese ally. Their message is that there is nothing that will stop them from continuing their nuclear arms program. It is basically a gigantic middle finger to the rest of the world. 

The question is what the world is going to do about it. More specifically, what will the Chinese do? They do not want war in the Korean peninsula but even they have to fear a North Korea armed with H-bombs. If China isn't careful it could be one of their cities that disappears in a mushroom cloud. That fear has kept them from directly confronting North Korea but it also prevents anyone else from doing anything either. 

If China was on board it would be a relatively simple thing to destroy North Korea's nuclear ambitions. With targeted airstrikes and a powerful air campaign we could eliminate most of the threat very quickly. And if we just launched a cruise missile at Kim Jong Un's head we could decapitate the government completely, thus eliminating the threat forever. There would be a war but the North Korean military is no match for the forces arrayed against them in the Korean Peninsula. They would lose and lose hard if we were to ever strike at them. 

But China prevents us from doing so. The last thing anyone wants is a potential war against China. China has said that they would not defend North Korea if they started a war, but they still say at least that they will defend North Korea in a war that they did not start. As long as that is the case, I don't know how much we can do militarily. 

We can and will continue with the diplomatic route. The status quo of sanctions is having an effect on North Korea. They have basically lost most of their best sources of income due to sanctions and more will be coming. They can no longer export coal which was their main source of money. 

I don't think we can actually get the North Koreans to the negotiating table anymore. But if we can cause their economy to collapse, such as it is, perhaps that will force the removal of Kim Jong Un. Kim has a stranglehold on his country but there have been several signs of weakness. He keeps killing his relatives and he wouldn't be doing so if he didn't feel like he was under threat. Let's hope that some North Korean will put a stop to him for the good of the world.

I do have to wonder how North Korea was able to perfect this warhead so quickly. Their last attempt was a supposed hydrogen bomb as well, but that test failed. But only a year later they were able to make a successful one? Someone has to be helping them and whoever that person or country is needs to be brought to justice, just like the Ukrainian company that has been accused of helping North Korea needs to be investigated as well. 

So, with this new escalation, is war likely? Maybe. I posted before that we have survived many close calls with North Korea and even when dozens of people died no war happened. And as long as China backs the North Korean regime, I doubt there will be any military action against the Kim family. I also don't think that the North Koreans are so crazy to launch a preemptive strike. 

All that being said, I do think that the chances of war are greater now then they have been in my lifetime at least, even if I think it is still less than a 10% chance. North Korea talks a big game but they understand that any war would be the end of their regime. My fear is that they miscalculated how America and the international community will respond to this test. If China washes their hands of North Korea there is a real chance at military action. North Korea may finally have crossed the line...