Fmr. Amb. Bill Richardson: Unlikely an H-bomb, but Take North Korea Seriously

Although North Korea says it has successfully conducted a miniaturized hydrogen bomb test, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson is not sold on the claims.

“I don’t believe it’s a hydrogen bomb because it was only 6 kilotons -- a hydrogen bomb is 20,” he said during an interview on the FOX Business Network’s Mornings with Maria.

Despite this, Governor Richardson says this situation should be taken seriously.

“It’s another tinder-box situation in Northeast Asia. I think it requires diplomacy by the United States… China… South Korea and by Russia, which is a new friend of North Korea.”

If proven, Governor Richardson said this shows how North Korea’s nuclear bomb program is far more advanced than once thought.

“I seriously doubt whether this happened because technologically North Korea still has a ways to go in their nuclear development, but at the same time their nuclear efforts are advancing, their technology is getting better, they had a failed ballistic missile test, they’ve had some other bad nuclear tests,” he noted.

Governor Richardson also thinks North Korea is proceeding very rapidly toward potentially developing a hydrogen bomb.

“I don’t think they are there yet, but they are basically sending a signal that you’ve got to deal with us and we’re here and don’t just think of Iran and the Middle East and Saudi Arabia,” he said.