'The stakes are high': what's the feeling in the US about the North Korean nuclear test?

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US President Barack Obama openly condemned North Korea’s latest nuclear test. Our correspondent Stefan Grobe outlined the atmosphere in the capital.

Stefan Grobe, Washington

“There’s growing concern in Washington that it’s just a matter of time until North Korea will be able to put missile development and nuclear technology together. The question now, of course, is can the Obama administration orchestrate new ways of inflicting more pain on North Korea, which is already under sweeping sanctions.

“The key area is China and Obama hopes that North Korea can be one of the few issues on which he can produce some results in corporation with Beijing, even if the Chinese are frustrated by North Korea as well. Obama has very little leverage and probably less time as the country is totally distracted by the presidential campaign.

“If there is a North Korean crisis in the weeks ahead, Donald Trump will not hesitate to blame it on Obama and his former Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton. So, the stakes are high and could very well shake things up domestically here in the United States.”