North Korea continues to take the world by surprise and the latest in the list is an online ad for sale of Lithium 6 which is a product that can convert an ordinary atom bomb into a deadly hydrogen bomb and magnifies its destructive power by up to 1,000 times. North Korea, apparently, has adequate stock of the item and can sell 22 pounds of the substance every month. The port of delivery is indicated as Dandong, China.
The ad contains details of the seller with his contact number and he is identified as belonging to the North Korean Embassy in Beijing.
How can the brake be applied?
The New York Times reports that in the opinion of experts, the online ad is evidence that North Korea has produced an abundance of lithium 6 and is on the threshold of graduating into an advanced nuclear power.
The United States has tried to apply the brake on North Korea and earlier presidents tried to achieve the result by a mix of negotiations, sanctions, sabotage and threats of unilateral strikes. It is now up to President Donald Trump to devise his strategy.
One option could be to bolster the anti-missile defenses and another could be to sabotage the efforts of North Korea by resorting to cyber warfare.
The power of Lithium 6
Bomb makers use Lithium 6 to make hydrogen fuel for nuclear arms, and the ad for online sale of the product is proof that North Korea, considered to be a backward country, has acquired expertise that displays its technical advances. It can now convert the lithium 6 into a more powerful bomb. The Soviets used that method way back in 1953 in its first thermonuclear test – the result was a bomb that was more than 25 times stronger than the Hiroshima bomb.
Initial investigation reveals that the address given is non-existent and the phone does not respond.
However, since the North Korean Embassy in Beijing is involved, Xi Jinping, the President of China, could obtain some information on the subject. Keeping such information handy could pave the way for a smooth round of talks with President Donald Trump when they meet in Florida.
North Korea has made a point and America and China must realize its significance. They must take suitable calculated action because an item like Lithium 6 in the wrong hands could spell disaster for the whole world.