“If North Korea were to end up with a nuclear weapon, it would be very destabilizing and very troubling for all of us.”
– President Bush, July 30, 2008, Interview with China Central Television (Yes, this week he really said that)
“If” –?? What is Bush talking about? That ship has sailed. That train has left the station. That bomb is out of the bag.
Yes, "if." President Bush has it exactly right. That ship has not sailed.
First of all, President Bush is talking about the entire process of getting North Korea to give up nuclear technology so they won't have atomic-tipped missiles. Even if North Korea has that capability now, the process may yet deny them that weapon.
I agree with the general worry that led to the column. I worry about verifying whatever North Korea agrees to give up. And I worry they may have other programs outside the boundaries of the agreement.
But North Korea does not have a nuclear weapon.
They have missiles, yes.
They sort of detonated a nuclear device. That detonation "fizzled" however, without being a full explostion, indicating they did not master the art of nuclear fission.
But a device is not a bomb or a warhead.
Even if that device had not fizzled, North Korea would have to miniaturize the device so it can fit on a warhead and make it rugged enough to detonate after a harsh ballistic journey without scientists and technicians tweaking it until the last minute in a conrolled environment.
Even a really big boom is not automatically a bomb.
So yes, it is completely accurate to say that if North Korea were to end up with a nuclear weapon, it would be very destabilizing and very troubling for all of us.
