“On a Very Dangerous Trajectory”: North Korea Tests Another Nuclear Weapon

With North Korea conducting another nuclear test one of Australia’s top analysts says there are indicators of a “very dangerous trajectory” that may lead to conflict on a global scale.

Professor John Blaxland, head of the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre at the Australian National University, says any hostilities with North Korea could lead to defensive and opportunistic actions by others in the region, much as was seen in the Second World War.

Professor Blaxland told Open House however that he “remains sanguine that clever people in office in the US, Australia, Russia, China and elsewhere are sanely considering the calculus of that prospect and looking to avoid it”.

Prior to the test, which caused a seismic event measured at between 5.7 and 6.3 on the Richter scale, North Korea displayed a hydrogen bomb that it said was suitable for loading onto an inter-continental ballistic missile.

Professor Blaxland is a keen observer of tensions on the Korean Peninsular, who has previously told Open House of his hope that once Kim Jon-Un has demonstrated a viable nuclear option he would not want to use it in a first strike, but instead use it as a bargaining chip on the mutually assured destruction principle.

So have we reached that point, and how will the US and its allies respond?

Just hours after confirmation of the September 03 test Open House spoke with John Blaxland.

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