US general: ‘I believe N.K. has capacity to miniaturize nuke warhead’

In a news conference at the Pentagon in Washington, the U.S. on Friday, General Curtis Scaparrotti, commander of the U.S.-ROK Combined Forces Command, said, “I believe have the capability to have miniaturized a device at this point.” Miniaturizing of a nuclear warhead is a core technology to produce a miniaturized warhead that can be launched through a missile.

When asked “What`s your assessment about when they can marry -- the North Koreans -- can marry up three critical components -- a rogue mobile launcher, an intermediate to long-range missile and a miniaturized nuclear warhead?” at the South Korea-U.S. Security Consultative Meeting in Washington, Scaparrotti replied, "Right, right. They claim they`ve done that already. They claim they have an intercontinental ballistic missile that`s capable.” The remarks could be interpreted to suggest that the North already succeeded in miniaturizing a nuclear warhead, which is expected to cause a major stir.

Analysts say that Scaparrotti may have made the remarks to emphasize the necessity to deploy theater of high altitude area defense missile (THAAD) in South Korea. The commander said, “The fact they (the North) claim that they have the technology means that (I believe) they have the technology to potentially actually deliver what they say they have."

When asked by reporters to reconfirm, he backed down a bit, saying, “I don’t know that they do. What I’m saying is, is that I think given their technological capabilities, the time that they been working on this, that they probably have the capabilities to put this together. I don’t believe that they have. I don’t know that they have at this point.”

Rear Admiral John Kirby, the Pentagon press secretary, said, “General Scaparrotti said he believes they have the capability to miniaturize. That`s not the same thing as saying that they have the capability to mount, test and deliver a nuclear weapon in an ICBM,” in trying to contain aftereffect the U.S. commander’s remarks.