The nuclear machine, Trump has the cards, but must play fast

North Korea made it clear its determination to advance the nuclear weapons program by conducting the sixth and most powerful underground nuclear test, just hours after its statement that it has now produced the hydrogen bomb that could reach the United States, with the potential to kill millions.

Says: Harry J. Kazianis

I doubt the truthfulness of North boasting that it already has the H Bomb that can be assembled on an intercontinal ballistic missile to wipe American or other cities off the surface. But this formidable goal can soon be achieved if President Trump fails to act quickly and decisively.

Last month, in an opinion published in Fox News, I wrote that a source from the Pentagon told me that North Korea was only 6-18 months from the development of Bomb H. The source showed me this weekend that you still believe this thing, adding that “anything from what North Korea does now doesn't make us dance. At this point, I don't rule out anything”.

The new North nuclear test and claims that they already have the bomb are part of the same strategy. For dictator Kim Jong Un to have faith in advanced nuclear weapons and missile systems of their delivery, he wants to test them, possibly several times.

So far, despite those who have been told to us, Kim has not tested anything with the devastating force of a hydrogen bomb. Sunday's test, however, was the largest North Korea has ever carried out, about three times as powerful as the nuclear explosion of the previous year and more powerful than the US atom bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan in World War II.

Korea needs to reduce any nuclear bomb to assemble it on interc mount ballistic missiles, which requires more time and would be a major breakthrough for Kim, and it should adjust its new weapon to the missile.

Whether it is in a few months or not, few doubts are that the North is walking toward possession of the most powerful bomb on the planet and system to take it to many parts of the world, including America. I would argue that North Korea will probably hit the United States with nuclear missiles now.

So it's an urgent matter of national security for President Trump and his administration to act to stop the nuclear and missile capacities Kim already has.

As a first step, we need to make sure that we restrict North Korea's financial resources to make it as difficult to implement the nuclear programme as possible.

The purpose of this new action -- just like sanctions imposed by the UN Security Council a few weeks ago -- should limit the amount of money they enter in North Korea by helping finance the nuclear programme.

President Trump must act unilaterally, saying by name, criticised and sanctioned any business, government organisation that helps launder money for North Korea or helps this country overcome new and old sanctions. The sum of money that enters North Korea totals billions of dollars a year.

This anti-money laundering campaign would undoubtedly damage China and its banks in the US, but it is a necessary step to ensure that Beijing and gyni understand that violation of sanctions imposed by the UN, the US and other countries individually will no longer be tolerated.

Second, we must significantly increase the military presence in the Asia-peace region. President Trump must keep the promise of President Obama and make a real turn or rebalancing of Asia. This would make Asia our top priority for national security after protecting our territory regardless of what the international crisis will be.

This means that we have 70 percent of the American naval assets in the Pacific instead of the current 60 percent. These new assets should be a mixture of assault submarines and remoted rockets, as well as dens. A EGIS for defense of North Korean missile attacks.

Thirdly, the ground bases of anti-missile protection in East Asia must grow dramatically, just as they are at home. It should be worked quickly with Japan to deploy additional PACE batteries, as well as to install anti-missile defense systems. HAAD.

Washington must work to rapidly expand the number of ground interceptors needed for protection against attacks by intercstinent ballistic missiles from North Korea.

Before all this, President Trump must make clear that this is the United States policy, that we will never accept in North nuclear Korea and that all other options are and will remain on the table forever.

While Washington is not going to start a war with jinn, Kim has to know that we will respond to any Korean-norse military attack with severe deadly force. And if Kim launches a nuclear attack, President Trump should make it clear that genus' fat mouse would have signed the death penalty for himself and his country.

Today we are paying the accumulated price that we have not given due attention to a national security challenge that should have been the first for every American government in decades.

And while we may not have a perfect plan to reduce the risk of North Korea, we certainly have many strong options that can keep our country and our allies safe.

*Harry J. Kazianis is director of defence studies at the National Interest Center, founded by President Richard Nixon.

Taken from Fox News Prepare: SYRI.net