'Strategic Failure of the First Order'

North Korea has exploded a nuclear weapon, or in the passive voice used by the media, 'conducted an underground nuclear test'.

Talking Points Memo

For the US this is a strategic failure of the first order.

The origins of the failure are ones anyone familiar with the last six years in this country will readily recognize: chest-thumping followed by failure followed by cover-up and denial. The same story as Iraq. Even the same story as Foley.