A powerful nuclear test causes a global outcry

Photo AFP
The leader of North Korea, Kim Jong-un (fourth from left), claims to have tested a hydrogen bomb.

Catherine Montambeault

Sunday, 3 September 2017 22:52

UPDATE
Monday, September 4, 2017 00:22

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The security council of the UN meets in emergency this morning due to the global concern caused by the north Korean nuclear test the most powerful to date.

“[Donald] Trump has reaffirmed the U.s. commitment to defend [ … ], our territories and our allies using the full range of diplomatic capabilities, conventional and nuclear, of which we have,” said the statement from the White House.

North Korea announced on Sunday to have tested a hydrogen bomb at its sixth nuclear test since 2006.

The agencies geological foreign had detected a tremor with a magnitude of 6.3 near the principal nuclear test site in the country, at Punggye-Ri.

However, no independent expert has confirmed that it was actually a hydrogen bomb.

Specialists quebec even believe that it could be a bluff on the part of Kim Jong-un.

Of the sham ?

“It is very complicated to make a hydrogen bomb. This is the reason why I suspect that this is just a ploy on the part of North Korea,” said Marcel Lacroix, a doctor in nuclear engineering and a professor at the University of Sherbrooke.

It will probably have to wait a few days before you can determine what type of bomb was used, says Guy Marleau, professor of nuclear engineering at the École polytechnique de Montréal.

“If it’s a hydrogen bomb, it will have released some radio-isotopes in the atmosphere, that we will be able to detect with satellite images”, he explains.

Marcel Lacroix believes that North Korea may be said to possess a hydrogen bomb to scare the United States.

“I think the goal is to continue in this rhetoric threatening,” he says.

Devastating

So far, the communist regime had tested atomic bombs, or bombs, at a potential far less devastating than the hydrogen bomb, or bombs H.

For example, the H-bomb, the most powerful ever tested was 3000 times more powerful than the bomb used at Hiroshima.

According to specialists in south korea, the power of the earthquake of Sunday was five to six times higher than that of the previous test of North Korea, in September 2016, with a capacity of 10 kilotonnes.

Regardless of the intensity of the explosion, Jeffrey Lewis, of the site armscontrolwonk.com felt that it was a thermo-nuclear weapon, which is a major step forward in nuclear and missile programs in north korea, but banned.

– With AFP

A point of no return ?

That North Korea possesses a hydrogen bomb or not, the tension intensifies between Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump could have disastrous consequences, warn experts.

“If a missile from North Korea heading towards the United States, it would likely be intercepted before there was an atomic explosion. But it is sure that the United States répliqueraient. Who knows what kind of situation would be where?” says Marcel Lacroix, author of the book Tell me about the nuclear.

Photo AFP

North Koreans react to the announcement of a nuclear test successful by their country.

Norman Cornett, a specialist in american politics and a former professor at McGill, believes that a point of no return has already been crossed.

“It is too late, says he bluntly. It would have been necessary to ensure that North Korea does not make it [to the point to have such a power].”

“The reality is that Donald Trump will not be able to act without dire consequences, in particular for South Korea or Japan. […] You can’t deny that it will be apocalyptic [if a war breaks out].”

– With Antoine Lacroix

What they said

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“These new provocations by the leaders of North Korea, in addition to their willingness profoundly dangerous design of nuclear weapons and testing ballistic missiles near of the neighbouring countries, are only further isolate these leaders.”

– Justin Trudeau, canadian prime minister

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“The international community must deal with this new challenge with the utmost firmness in order to bring North Korea to resume unconditionally the path of dialogue and to proceed with the dismantling complete, verifiable and irreversible its nuclear programs and ballistic.”

Emmanuel Macron, French president

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“This act is a new serious breach of the international obligations of North Korea and it weakens the international efforts in the field of non-proliferation and disarmament.”

– Antonio Guterres, the UN secretary-general

The nuclear weapons in the history

Bombs (atomic bombs)

• Hiroshima, 6 August 1945: 15 000 kilotons (equivalent to 15,000 tons of dynamite)
• Nagasaki, 9 August 1945: 17 000 kilotonnes

Between 110 000 and 250 000 victims in total

Hydrogen bombs (bombs (H)

The most powerful ever tested was detonated in the Russian Arctic

• 30 October 1961: 57 000 kilotonnes