Obama at his strongest. Many people are waiting for US leadership and resolve against North Korea's long march to a Hydrogen Bomb. Like Chamberlain Obama is looking a bit lame. Might take a "madman" like Trump to make Kim III sit up and take notice.
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Evolving nuclear weapons programs need many tests.
It is notable that authorities in 2013 said very little about North Korea's purposes for the preceding 2013 test.
The 2013 and this latest test may have always been for a primary for an H-bomb.
Kim III and the Kim Dynasty in the longer term seem to have grandiose but not immediately realizable weapons goals. Then they eventually achieve those goals.
Further seismic data, US chemical sniffing jets and other intel sources will likely reveal much more in the next 48 hours but results may be only issued to small groups within the five permanent members of the UN Security Council (P5), South Korea and Japan.
As with the 2013 test the US may not want to provide analysis that points to a North Korean H-Bomb program progressing. This would cause loss of face for the US Obama administration, intel and military communities.
Western militaries and politicians seem powerless to slow North Korea’s nuclear program – shades of appeasement to counter German acts and rearmament in the 1930s?
"Madman" Ronald Reagan did wonders facing down the Soviet military empire in the 1980s. Does the US need a "madman" like Trump to facedown Kim's nuclear nation-building?
Pete