France: North Korea nuclear test failed - Asia-Pacific - MSNBC.com

OK, I know its been a while since but this article seems to have grabbed my attention.

So here's a thought. Could North Korea have faked it? Is there a benefit to faking it?

France: North Korea nuclear test failed - Asia-Pacific - MSNBC.com

It seems that the whatever explosion there was had a low yield. So conventional explosives could have produced the same effect right?

Why fake it? Well how do you turn a bad situation into your favor? If the world gets pissed and tries to force retaliation or severe sanctions with North Korea and there was no nuclear explosion is the retaliation still justified? This is the "There's WMD in Iraq" thing. Only now it will be a "There was a nuclear explosion in North Korea, lets get rid of that guy before it gets worse". Except if it wasn't a nuclear explosion. So another knucklehead gets taken out and the world goes oh poor North Korea, they didn't have a nuclear device after all. Stupid for taking out the leader.

Why else to fake it and keep it covered up (yes I know its a mine shaft, and already covered up)? Well, Kim Jong Il has an ego problem. He wants the world and his country to be taken seriously. The only reason anyone is paying attention is because he may have enough material to make and now apparently detonate The Bomb. So he's that much closer to being able to sit down with the US one on one.

Its the only freakin' chip he's got. So everyone thought it was real, but it was fake he got one step closer and didn't have to "blow his wad". Their leader wants to be on the world stage, he'll do anything he can to get it. But Kim Jong-Il is not stupid. To me he's trying to figure out a balancing act. He has to know that if he goes too far, a nuclear device linked to him detonated in a country outside his own WILL end his tenure as dictator. But coming close will just keeps him in the light.

I don't know the point is to raise a thought as to what if it was a fake nuclear explosion.