NOKO NUKE: FAKE; BIG DUD; OR SMALL SUITCASE BOMB?

NYTIMES:

North Korea came under international condemnation today after boasting that it had tested a nuclear weapon, with strong criticism even from its allies, but there were doubts in the intelligence community about the strength of the device. ... While there was agreement among scientists that an explosion occurred, seismic readings raised questions about the size of the weapon and whether it worked properly. A successful nuclear test would be expected to have the same force as between 10 and 60 kilotons of high explosives.

This one may have been less than one kiloton. ... “We have assessed that the explosion in North Korea was a sub-kiloton explosion,” said one intelligence official, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue. He added, “We don’t know, in fact, whether it was a nuclear explosion.” He spoke as intelligence analysts in Washington were in the early stages of assessing the explosion. ... Philip E. Coyle III, a former head of weapons testing at the Pentagon and former director of nuclear testing for the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, said the unimpressive size of the test signaled the possibility of a partial success or failure. “As first tests go, this is smaller and less successful than the other nuclear powers,” he said.

“Now, maybe they intended to make it small, and perhaps they did, who knows?” ... “But if it turns out to be a kiloton or less,” he added, “that would suggest that they hoped for more than that and didn’t get it.”

Maybe it was not a nuke. Maybe it was a big nuke which was a big dud. BUT... JUST MAYBE IT WAS A SMALL SUITCASE NUKE - one which they have sold or plan to sell to jihadists who have either smuggled it in to the USA or intend to. After all, missiles are ot the only way to deliver a nuke. (MORE HERE.)

Kim Jong Il might be trying to fake his way into a nuclear deterrent - and it might be because he's closer to collapse than ever and more afraid than ever he will be attacked. But just maybe this was a sales demonstration. We know that Iranians were at the last missile tests onm July Fourth. Maybe they - or their jihadoterrorist proxies - were at this one.

UPDATE: More on the suitcase angle HERE and other uses for small nukes HERE. COMPLETE ROUND UP HERE AT MEMEORANDUM. And welcome to readers of the blogosphere's best - PAJAMAS MEDIA.