Scientist sees centrifuges, others see international catastrophe

The press has underlined the risks North Korea’s recently revealed centrifuges entail,and others have been quick to draw broad international conclusions (see Simon Henderson, http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/templateC05.php?CID=3274).  But it is well worth reading Siegfried Hecker’s original report, which is cautiously judicious, while raising many important questions.

Certainly Henderson goes a bit far in speculating about hydrogen bombs.  He is on more solid ground in his discussion of possible nuclear and missile trade, once considered unlikely to happen by nonproliferation experts.