Israel accuses DPRK of shipping WMD to Syria

[Coito ergo sum]

Israel says N.Korea shipping WMDs to Syria

AFP – Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman speaks during a joint press conference with EU foreign affairs …
57 mins ago
JERUSALEM (AFP) – Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman on Tuesday accused nuclear power North Korea of supplying Syria with weapons of mass destruction.
Lieberman's office quoted him as telling Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama at a meeting in Tokyo that such activity threatened to destabilise east Asia as well as the Middle East.
"The cooperation between Syria and North Korea is not focused on economic development and growth but rather on weapons of mass destruction" Lieberman said.
In evidence he cited the December 2009 seizure at Bangkok airport of an illicit North Korean arms shipment which US intelligence said was bound for an unnamed Middle East country.
Lieberman said Syria intended to pass the weapons on to the Lebanese Hezbollah militia and to the Islamic Hamas movement, which rules Gaza and has its political headquarters in Damascus.
"This cooperation endangers stability in both southeast Asia and also in the Middle East and is against all the accepted norms in the international arena," Lieberman was quoted as telling Hatoyama.
Thai officials at the time said that acting on a tipoff from Washington they confiscated about 30 tonnes of missiles, rocket-propelled grenades and other weapons when the North Korean plane landed for refuelling in Bangkok.
Israel has accused North Korea in the past of transferring nuclear technology to Syria, which is technically in a state of war with the neighbouring Jewish state, although the two last fought openly in 1973.
Britain's Sunday Times newspaper reported in 2007 that Israel seized North Korean nuclear material in a commando raid on a secret military site in Syria and then destroyed the site in an air attack.
Syria denied the report.
The communist regime in North Korea has denied collaborating on nuclear activity with Syria, while Israel has maintained an official silence on the reported September 2007 raid and strike.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100511/wl ... koreajapan

[Coito ergo sum]

And, on a side note....

UPDATE 1-Russia says eyes atomic energy cooperation with Syria
Tue May 11, 2010 6:04am EDT

DAMASCUS, May 11 (Reuters) - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Tuesday that he hoped cooperation with Syria in the oil, gas and atomic energy sectors will be increased.

"Cooperation on atomic energy (with Syria) could get a second wind," Medvedev said at a press conference with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus.

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSLDE6 ... arketsNews

[Ian]

[Trolldor]

Poor Israel?

[FBM]

Mmm. I'm sure Israel isn't just now catching on to this. Slightly old news resurfacing at this particular time. Wonder why? Ian?

(Don't tell me anything that you'd have to kill me for afterwards, 'k? )

[Martok]

Sneaky N. Koreans.

[Ian]

Sneaky N. Koreans.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ROKS_Cheonan_sinking
Stand by for the official investigation results, possibly accompanied by some fireworks.

[Toontown]

The Syrians are exceedingly slow learners. Israel has already bombed a Syrian nuclear reactor which was a duplicate of North Korea's ill-gotten reactor.

Apparently the crooked destabilizing Russians are itching for another war over there as well. Russian nuclear cooperation with Syria is a sure-fire way to scratch that itch. Those criminalistic thugs are going to keep fucking around until they end up getting some really nasty stuff delivered to their bomb shelters, come armageddon.

[Feck]

If I lived next to Israel I would want some WMD's ...

[FBM]

Sneaky N. Koreans.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ROKS_Cheonan_sinking
Stand by for the official investigation results, possibly accompanied by some fireworks.

Nah. It won't come to fireworks. The South wouldn't initiate something so harmful to their precious economy. They'll go with more sanctions and a beefing up of their military.

http://english.chosun.com/site/data/htm ... 00421.html

U.S. Experts 'Believe N.Korea Sank the Cheonan'

U.S. experts taking part in the investigation into the sinking of the South Korean Navy corvette Cheonan have done all they can and expect no new discoveries, a South Korean government source said Sunday.

"So far we've been able to verify based on many pieces of evidence that the weapon used to sink the Cheonan was a torpedo, but we still have no conclusive evidence linking it to North Korea," the source said. "But the U.S. experts feel the results so far are enough to confirm that the culprit was North Korea and are satisfied with the better-than-expected results of the probe."

The investigative team apparently concluded that traces of explosives and aluminum debris found in the funnel and split section of the Cheonan are highly likely the same type used by former Eastern-bloc countries as well as North Korea in manufacturing torpedoes, and that the North is the only likely culprit given circumstantial evidence such as the movements of submarines around the time of the sinking.

The U.S. team of investigators, composed of 15 people including submarine experts, apparently agree with that conclusion.

http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/ ... id=2920555

Two North patrol boats violate NLL

In an apparent attempt to highlight the disputed border in the peninsula’s western waters, North Korean patrol boats crossed the inter-Korean maritime border twice Saturday night and retracted after warning shots from a Southern ship.

The border violations took place at a time of escalated tensions between the two Koreas. South Korea is scheduled to announce the results of its investigation into the sinking of the warship Cheonan near the western inter-Korean sea border on Thursday, and speculation has grown that the incident that killed 46 sailors was caused by a torpedo attack by the North.

According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a North Korean patrol boat approached the Northern Limit Line, the de facto maritime border between the two Koreas in the Yellow Sea, at 10 p.m. on Saturday. The South Korean Navy patrol sent a warning to the ship by radio, and in response the North’s boat accused the South’s patrol of having violated its territorial waters.

The North Korean boat continued to descend and crossed the Northern Limit Line at 10:13 p.m. despite repeated warnings, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff. After staying in South Korean waters for about 30 minutes, the ship went back at 10:43 p.m., the military said.

Another North Korean patrol boat, according to the military, crossed the border at 11:30 p.m., despite the South Korean Navy’s warnings. After a second warning was sent, the South Korean Navy fired two warning shots and the North Korean ship retreated at 11:39 p.m., the Joint Chiefs of Staff said.

The two border violations took place about 15.75 kilometers (9.8 miles) northwest of Baengnyeong Island, the military said. It was the first western maritime border violation by the North since the South Korean Navy warship Cheonan sank in nearby waters on March 26.

The Northern Limit Line is the de facto maritime demarcation line between the two Koreas in the waters west of the peninsula. The line was unilaterally drawn by the U.S.-led United Nations forces in 1953 after the UN command and North Korea failed to reach an agreement. Pyongyang does not recognize the line, which was also not included in the Korean War armistice agreement.

North Korea regularly violates the western sea border and naval skirmishes have taken place in nearby waters in June 1999, June 2002 and November 2009. The latest deadly incident that took place in the area was the Cheonan’s sinking.

According to a military source, North Korean patrol boats crossed the Northern Limit Line about 20 times in 2009, but Saturday’s violations were the first since the Cheonan’s sinking. “Since the incident was the first since the Cheonan’s sinking and also took place on Saturday night, which is considered the most vulnerable time for the military, we are looking closely into the North’s motive,” the official said.

A South Korean government source also told the JoongAng Ilbo that the North Korean military had recently issued an order to open fire on all South Korean vessels that cross the Northern Limit Line. “The order was given to all North Korean units that are in charge of the western border, including the Navy’s fleet command and the IV Army Corps,” he said.

The IV Army Corps is the North’s most forward army unit and it conducted an intensive firing drill in January in cooperation with the country’s Navy.

Since the North has made a renewed attempt to defy the Northern Limit Line, military officials here are concerned that Pyongyang would stage further provocations depending on the international responses to Seoul’s announcement of the outcome of the probe into the Cheonan’s sinking.

A senior government official told Yonhap News Agency yesterday that a team of international investigators has concluded that a North Korean torpedo attack had sank the Cheonan.

Anyway, this is probably the most interesting thing in the local news today. China may have had enough of KJI's shit and sent him home w/out the cookie he was looking for:

http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/ ... id=2920556

Beijing’s rebuff made Kim cut China trip short

Request for extraordinary aid denied, as China adhered to UN sanctions
May 17, 2010
BEIJING - China told North Korean leader Kim Jong-il during his recent visit that it will respect international sanctions imposed on Pyongyang and refused to provide extraordinary economic assistance, an informed source here told the JoongAng Ilbo.

According to the source, the Chinese government’s position prompted Kim to cut short his stay in China.

“At the luncheon between Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and Kim on May 6, the Chinese government informed the North that China will not provide aid outside the framework of the United Nations Security Council sanctions against Pyongyang,” the source said.

“After Beijing’s position was explained, Kim shortened his schedule in China.”

Kim’s trip in China lasted from May 2 to 7. Although sources said Kim was to attend the North Korean Pibada Opera Company’s performance of “A Dream of Red Mansions” with Chinese leaders on the evening of May 6, he canceled at the last minute and rushed home.

One month after North Korea’s second nuclear test in May 2009, UN Security Council members unanimously adopted Resolution 1874, approving sanctions on North Korea.

In addition to a trade embargo on weapons and financial restrictions, the resolution called for inspection of ships suspected of carrying banned arms and related materials. China, a permanent member of the UN Security Council, also condemned the North for its nuclear test and approved the sanctions.

The sanctions ban any support to the North except for humanitarian aid, and the reclusive communist nation’s fragile economy has been hit severely by a food crisis and failed currency reform.

Kim was believed to have sought extraordinary support from China during his trip.

Despite the sanctions, China promised North Korea about $30 million worth of assistance when Premier Wen visited Pyongyang in October 2009, alarming Seoul that Beijing may not be fully committed to the resolution. The latest decision by China to reject Kim’s request, however, appeared to show growing frustration in Beijing over escalated tension on the peninsula.

Japan’s Asahi Shimbun also published yesterday a similar report, quoting a South Korean government official.

The newspaper said Kim had shortened his itinerary by one day as an expression of displeasure.

“There is a possibility that China had raised the issues of Kim’s successor and policies of opening up the country and reform,” the source was quoted as saying by the newspaper. “Then, Kim could have felt discontent.”

Observers here said Kim’s recent trip to China appeared to be a failure and North Korea must do more - internationally and domestically - to win China’s assistance.

“At least, both the sides seem quite stymied, and the visit highlights a distinctive rift between Beijing and Pyongyang,” Zhu Feng, professor at the Peking University’s School of International Studies and deputy director of Center for International and Strategic Studies at the university, wrote recently for the Asia Security Initiative of the MacArthur Foundation.

“Kim is very economically motivated to see the Chinese open their wallet,” he said. At the end of the day, he said, China didn’t defer to North Korea for the sake of it returning to six-party talks on the shutting of its nuclear weapons program. “Unfortunately, the standoff will continue,” he said.

[Ian]

Sneaky N. Koreans.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ROKS_Cheonan_sinking
Stand by for the official investigation results, possibly accompanied by some fireworks.

Nah. It won't come to fireworks. The South wouldn't initiate something so harmful to their precious economy. They'll go with more sanctions and a beefing up of their military.

I agree. They'll bitch about it to the UN first. However, how much can the UN do to the DPRK anyway? The South will have to do something, even if it's very covert.

[FBM]

Sneaky N. Koreans.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ROKS_Cheonan_sinking
Stand by for the official investigation results, possibly accompanied by some fireworks.

Nah. It won't come to fireworks. The South wouldn't initiate something so harmful to their precious economy. They'll go with more sanctions and a beefing up of their military.

I agree. They'll bitch about it to the UN first. However, how much can the UN do to the DPRK anyway? The South will have to do something, even if it's very covert.

Ah. Covert responses are another issue entirely. Did you see Silmido? It's based on a true story, and I seriously doubt the South has stopped its covert OPs program, especially since the various NK commando incursions over the past decade or so.

But really, food aid and economic interactions are where the South (and Japan) has them by the balls, especially if China keeps giving the North the cold shoulder.

KJI is said to be partially paralyzed or weakened on his left side due to his recent stroke. No doubt he has a few things in mind before he becomes an invalid. Should be interesting, eh?

[Ian]

Sneaky N. Koreans.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ROKS_Cheonan_sinking
Stand by for the official investigation results, possibly accompanied by some fireworks.

Nah. It won't come to fireworks. The South wouldn't initiate something so harmful to their precious economy. They'll go with more sanctions and a beefing up of their military.

I agree. They'll bitch about it to the UN first. However, how much can the UN do to the DPRK anyway? The South will have to do something, even if it's very covert.

Ah. Covert responses are another issue entirely. Did you see Silmido? It's based on a true story, and I seriously doubt the South has stopped its covert OPs program, especially since the various NK commando incursions over the past decade or so.

But really, food aid and economic interactions are where the South (and Japan) has them by the balls, especially if China keeps giving the North the cold shoulder.

KJI is said to be partially paralyzed or weakened on his left side due to his recent stroke. No doubt he has a few things in mind before he becomes an invalid. Should be interesting, eh?

He's lost an awful lot of weight in recent years. I don't know if he's got a whole lot of time left. And his potential heirs don't seem to possess a whole lot of gravitas... but then again I would've said that about KJI before his father croaked in 1994.

In the end, I do think that North Korea is more likely to either implode politically or explode militarily than it is to undergo a peaceful reform & reunification process with the south.

[FBM]

He's lost an awful lot of weight in recent years. I don't know if he's got a whole lot of time left. And his potential heirs don't seem to possess a whole lot of gravitas... but then again I would've said that about KJI before his father croaked in 1994.

There was some video online recently that showed him dragging his left leg, and barely using his left arm. Not quite crippled, but far from 100%. He's also said to be on dialysis almost every day.

In the end, I do think that North Korea is more likely to either implode politically or explode militarily than it is to undergo a peaceful reform & reunification process with the south.

Unfortunately, I tend to agree. The higher-ups in the military stand to lose in a peaceful reunification. They'll be strung up by their balls for crimes against humanity once the truth bout the death gulags comes to full light. That would go all the way to the top, too, so KJI can't do it, either. If his successor were to institute internal reforms and the like...eh...nah. Won't happen. There would have to be some guarantee of immunity from the international community and I kinda don't see that coming.

Anyway, both the US and China have too much to lose from a reunification of any kind.

[Ian]

Anyway, both the US and China have too much to lose from a reunification of any kind.

Not sure if I agree with that one. The US would love to see a unified Korea with its government in Seoul (it just can't reunify any other way; Pyongyang's days of power are limited). The expansion of capitalism is always in its global interests. And being able to redeploy/draw down nearly 40,000 troops from Korea to elsewhere would make the US military very happy.
As for China, I doubt they'll see a unified, western-oriented Korea as a strategic threat. For too long now, the North has been the charity case that China would rather not have. I think they'd prefer to increase economic ties with the peninsula than see a continuation of the status quo tensions.