A declaration by the North Korean government that it had successfully set off a Hydrogen bomb has made leaders in capitals around the world a wee bit panicky. Even the normally, unflappable Beijing reacted strongly. This is the fourth nuclear test to be conducted by the nation that seems to cock a snook at the West which usually gangs up against any nation attempting to acquire nuclear weapons. The trouble that the US went through to jam the brakes on the nuclear aspirations of the Iranians points to how seriously it views proliferation.
The three previous nuclear tests set off alarm bells, but the yield was rather small. A Hydrogen bomb falls in the category of very big and any nation which sets off one has to have advanced technological know-how. A Hydrogen bomb differs from an atomic bomb in yield (power) and complexity. In an atomic bomb atoms are split to generate energy, while in a Hydrogen bomb atoms are fused. This is achieved by using a fission bomb to generate the energy to fuse Hydrogen atoms. Hence the yield is much larger.
The situation is such that although North Korea has made a claim, nuclear experts around the world are not convinced because the yield was too small to be a Hydrogen bomb. North Korea said it used a miniature bomb to test the technology, but there are still no takers. It is possible that an isotope of Hydrogen was included in order for them to make the claim.
What Kim Jong Un, the elusive yet powerful leader, of North Korea sought to achieve through this test is baffling. Other than shock the world, there appears to be no compelling reason for the test, but then in North Korea saber rattling is a good enough reason to do practically anything outlandish. What Kim Jong knows is that sanctions will not work unless the whole world unites and with China and Russia, to list a few, unwilling to sanction anything that would bring North Korea to its knees, this route is not likely to yield success. Also, Pyongyang has perfected an elaborate system to circumvent sanctions. The only time the US managed to get the North Koreans to wince was when access to banks accounts used by the present leader’s father in Macau was blocked. This policy was eventually reversed under pressure from allies.
Nuclear proliferation has always been an uneven policy with those who have it not willing to allow others to invent it. The nuclear nations have guarded this privilege. While peaceful use of nuclear power is allowed and monitored by the International Atomic Energy Agency, any nation which detonates a bomb automatically invites retaliation. India has been at the receiving end for decades, but succeeded in breaking through thanks to a bilateral agreement with the US.
The greatest fear of the West is that nuclear material might eventually fall in the hands of terrorist groups which will eventually target the US. Although it is often said that there is enough material on the internet to enable building of such bombs, the process of enrichment is not so simple. North Korea already possesses nuclear material and with no way of knowing if a safety and security regime is in place, the fear of terrorist groups getting their hand on a bomb, are real. Attempts must be made to dissuade Pyongyang from pursuing a belligerent agenda.
