Nigeria Says North Korea Agrees to Share Missile Technology (Talking to North Korea does not work)

http://ap.tbo.com/ ^ | Jan 28, 2004 | Glenn McKenzie

[fatso]

Nigeria Says North Korea Agrees to Share Missile Technology

LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) - North Korea has agreed to share missile technology with Nigeria, the Nigerian government said Wednesday - a deal that would take the secretive communist nation's missile business to sub-Saharan Africa. If the deal goes through, Nigeria would join Libya, Iran, Egypt, Pakistan and Syria among countries reported to have received North Korea's help with either missiles or missile technology.

Nigeria, which is not at war or under any known threat from other countries, said any missile help would be used for "peacekeeping" and to protect its territory. It said it was not seeking nuclear technology or weapons of mass destruction.

A Nigerian official said no hardware acquisitions had yet been made or decided. The government did not say whether Nigeria, the continent's most populous nation and West Africa's military giant, would obtain missiles or simply receive help making them.

Referring to the announcement - as well as press reports that Nigeria later turned down the offer - State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said: "Obviously, this issue of regional stability and military acquisition is something that we do care about, something that's a regular part of our dialogue with Nigeria."

North Korea largely exports "simple, robust" Scud missile technology - not up-to-date, but useful for countries with relatively unsophisticated militaries, said Rose Gottemoeller of the Washington-based Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Weapons sales are a major source of revenue for financially strapped North Korea, but it is unusual for one of its clients to talk about a transaction publicly.

Nigerian Vice President Atiku Abubakar reached the accord with Yang Hyong Sop, the visiting vice president of North Korea's Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly, Abubakar's spokesman, Onukaba Ojo, told The Associated Press.

The two committed to a "program of cooperation that includes missile technology," Ojo said.

A statement from Abubakar's office said Nigeria's "government would continue to cooperate with the Korean government in the defense sector, an area in which both Nigeria and North Korea had cooperated over the years."

The North Korean was in Nigeria's capital, Abuja, on a bilateral visit from Tuesday to Saturday.

The United States alleges that Pyongyang reaped about $560 million from missile sales in 2001.

South Korea downplayed the offer. "I see it as a tactic by North Korea to arouse anxiousness from the United States ahead of the second round of six-nation talks," Unification Minister Jeong Se-hyun said Thursday.

The deal made public Wednesday takes the North Koreans well out of their normal selling base, the Mideast, Gottemoeller said. "What is surprising is that they're so far afield," she said.

Nigeria would be North Korea's first known sub-Saharan partner.

Ojo initially said both sides were committed to the deal, but later called back AP to say that "nothing was written in stone."

Although North Korean officials had shown their Nigerian military counterparts a "catalog of what they have, nothing has been finalized and Nigeria has not taken any concrete steps toward acquiring it yet," the Nigerian official said.

Ojo said he had not seen the catalog and did not know what kinds of missiles or other weapons were in it.

"This is just a memorandum of understanding. No action has been taken yet," Ojo added.

Nigeria hopes the United States and other Western nations opposed to North Korean nuclear and weapons proliferation would respect the deal, Ojo said.

"We are a sovereign nation. We should be able to cooperate with any nation we wish to cooperate with as long as it is in the best interests of Nigeria," he added, stressing Nigeria "is not shopping around for nuclear technology or weapons of mass destruction."

"Whatever we are discussing with them is only to enhance the capability of our military for peacekeeping and to protect Nigeria's territorial integrity," Ojo added.

Nigeria's military supplies much of the manpower of regional peace missions. Ojo declined to say what possible peacekeeping use missiles would have.

Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo and the North Korean official met Wednesday on economic matters. "As far as I know, there was no discussion on defense or military matters," Obasanjo spokeswoman Remi Oyo said. Nigeria, with 126 million people, is a political and military heavyweight on the continent and a frequent recipient of U.S. military and law enforcement assistance.

---

Associated Press reporter Edward Harris contributed from Dakar, Senegal.

[GeronL]

Thats what we need, a soon-tobe muslim country with missiles... hoorah

[river rat]

Perhaps this will hasten Africa's fate...
Self imposed extinction.....

Semper Fi

[I_love_weather]

Quote "Nigeria, which is not at war or under any known threat from other countries, said any missile help would be used for "peacekeeping" and to protect its territory. It said it was not seeking nuclear technology or weapons of mass destruction. "

Well that is why the USA has them...so what is the problem?

[Poundstone]

This is utter madness. Nigeria is dirt-poor and faces no external threat -- nor any internal threat which could be countered with missiles. Nigeria is already the recognized regional power in central/West Africa, so it doesn't need missiles to attain that status.

If Nigeria's motives for acquiring NK missiles are not obvious, NK's reasons for selling them are. Pyongyang needs hard currency.

If we can't get a UNSC resolution authorizing a missile quarantine to Nigeria, then I suppose we'll have to quarantine Nigeria ourselves. Too bad we buy a lot of Nigerian oil.

[Mo1]

Should I hold my breath that the UN will take care of this??

I didn't think so

[piasa]

Well that is why the USA has them...so what is the problem?

There is no such thing as moral equivalency among nations.

[The Old Hoosier]

I just hope we're not too stretched out by the Iraq war to be able to take on N. Korea, a really dangerous enemy that actually DOES pose an imminent threat.

[fatso]

Lets see what the U.S government does now

[Khurkris]

oh yeah...nuke missles in Nigeria....oh yeah...just what the world needs.

I can just imagine the nuclear black-mail and emails.

[I_love_weather]

Yes but you see that is what the rest of the world thinks.

Why should the USA think it is good enough to have nukes but not my country?

That is the way the game is played...that is reality.

Like it or not...

[adam_az]

some Nigeria background

The article is wrong to say "Nigeria, which is not at war or under any known threat from other countries, said any missile help would be used for "peacekeeping" and to protect its territory. It said it was not seeking nuclear technology or weapons of mass destruction." Nigeria has a border dispute with Cameroon. Kofi met with some of those fools today to "work" on it.

Some strange things are afoot in Nigeria. I collected some articles below that illustrate an interesting trend.

-
Wednesday, October 20, 1999 Published at 00:54 GMT 01:54 UK
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/480055.stm
World: Africa Aid boost for Nigeria

The American Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright, says the United States wants to quadruple its aid to Nigeria.
Speaking on national television, Mrs Albright said the United States wanted to help Nigeria transform into a democracy.

The increase - from $27m - would make Nigeria the largest recipient of US aid in Africa.

--

IRAQ CRISIS BULLETIN MARCH 22, 2003
http://216.239.37.104/search?q=cache:wjRIxSirWy8J:www.iraqcrisisbulletin.com/archives/032203/html/us_suspends_military_aid_to_ni.html+nigeria+us+aid&hl=en&ie=UTF-8
US SUSPENDS MILITARY AID TO NIGERIA, DENIES ITS BECAUSE OF IRAQ

DAVID GOLLUST
STATE DEPARTMENT

The Bush administration Friday confirmed a suspension of US military aid to Nigeria, but it is denying Nigerian charges that it is retaliation for that country's opposition to the US-led war on Iraq.

The State Department says the aid cut-off was mandated by Congress because of human rights concerns about Nigeria's military, and that its timing at the start of the war against Iraq is purely coincidental.

The comments here follow a statement Friday by a Nigerian foreign ministry official that the US move was an act of "sheer intimidation" because of Nigeria's position against the war, and his government would not be "dictated to" by any other country.


---
1/28/2004
http://www.thisdayonline.com/news/20040129news17.html
Nigeria to Work for Peace - Obasanjo
President Olusegun Obasanjo has said Nigeria will continue to work for global peace in the pursuit of common, mutual security and prosperity.

The President was speaking to the visiting Vice President of North Korea, Mr Yang Hyong Sop at State House, Abuja yesterday.

1/28/2004
More Imported Goods for Ban Soon - Obasanjo
http://allafrica.com/stories/200401280308.html
President Olusegun Obasanj yesterday declared that the Federal Government's policy of banning importation of goods produced in the country, will continue.

1/28/2004
Annan to Host Talks Nigeria-Cameroon Summit Meeting On Border Dispute
United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan will host talks at the end of this month between the leaders of Nigeria and Cameroon as part of continuing efforts to resolve a border dispute between the two countries, a UN spokesman announced today.

[Cindy]

U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT - TRAVEL WARNING: NIGERIA
http://travel.state.gov/nigeria_warning.html

[Cindy]

AL-INTASHAR.s5.com: "ISLAM'S NIGERIA"
http://www.al-intashar.s5.com/photo7.html

[fatso]

thanks

[fatso]

Los Angeles, Alta California
January 27, 2004
Mexico buys missile launchers from Israel
http://www.phxnews.com/fullstory.php?article=8957

The Mexican Navy announced yesterday that it has bought from Israel two fully operational Aliya class speed boats capable of launching 5 Gabriel missile each. Naval Captain Arturo Flores Gil told the Mexico City "La Jornada" newspaper that Mexico had paid Israel 60 million dollars for the two naval missile launchers and 10 missiles.

Each missile is capable of being outfitted with nuclear warheads.

Why would Mexico spend such large sums of money for weapons at a time when countless of Mexicans have no tortillas nor frijoles to eat and are being force to migrate to the USA? Captain Arturo Flores Gil said that the highly sophisticated weapons are needed to protect the 360 PEMEX oil rigs in the waters off Campeche. The Campeche oil fields are the richest in Mexico that produces 83% of the nation's oil.

When La Jornada asked Captain Arturo Flores Gil whether the weapons purchase meant that Mexico is collaborating with the Israeli Defense Forces, he answered, "It was a purchase based strictly on commercial considerations." President Vicente Fox Quesada of the Partido Accion Nacional (PAN) has been increasingly criticized for the disproportionate number of Jews in his administration and for taking large sums of money from Jewish groups in the USA during his campaign.

[Cindy]

Well, this is really disturbing "fatso" if true. The source of your phxnews.com story is Aztlan.net. Aztlan.net is known for its propaganda. I would like to know more about this alleged purchase from a credible news source.
====

NOTE: THE FOLLOWING IS AN EXACT QUOTE:

http://www.aztlan.net/mexico_missiles_israel.htm

<>.<>.<>.<>.<>.<>.<>.<>.<>.<>.<>.<>.<>.<>
<> LA VOZ DE AZTLAN NEWS BULLETIN <>
<>.<>.<> Los Angeles, Alta California <>.<>.<>

January 27, 2004

Mexico buys missile launchers from Israel

The Mexican Navy announced yesterday that it has bought from Israel two fully operational Aliya class speed boats capable of launching 5 Gabriel missiles each. Naval Captain Arturo Flores Gil told the Mexico City "La Jornada" newspaper that Mexico had paid Israel 60 million dollars for the two naval missile launchers and 10 missiles. Each missile is capable of being outfitted with nuclear warheads.

Why would Mexico spend such large sums of money for weapons at a time when countless of Mexicans have no tortillas nor frijoles to eat and are being forced to migrate to the USA? Captain Arturo Flores Gil said that the highly sophisticated weapons are needed to protect the 360 PEMEX oil rigs in the waters off Campeche. The Campeche oil fields are the richest in Mexico that produces 83% of the nation's oil.

When La Jornada asked Captain Arturo Flores Gil whether the weapons purchase meant that Mexico is collaborating with the Israeli Defense Forces, he answered, "It was a purchase based strictly on commercial considerations." President Vicente Fox Quesada of the Partido Accion Nacional (PAN) has been increasingly criticized for the disproportionate number of Jews in his administration and for taking large sums of money from Jewish groups in the USA during his campaign.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
La Voz de Aztlan
http://www.aztlan.net

[Cindy]

ON THE NET...

TOWNHALL.com: "A QUESTION ABOUT HIZBALLAH AND MEXICO" by Terence Jeffrey (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "Politicians serious about preventing another Sept. 11 should listen to the leader of Hizballah, and then read an indictment unsealed this month in Detroit.") (January 28, 2004)

"groups.yahoo.com/group: "latinomuslims - Islam and Muslims" (Discussion Forum)

"usuarios.lycos.es/RESISTENCIA"

ISLAM ONLINE.net - News: "MEXICO MARKS PALESTINE'S SOLIDARITY DAY" by Mudar Abdulghani, IOL Correspondent (November 30, 2003)

AZTLAN.net: "ARTICLES AND EDITORIALS ON THE PALESTINIAN STRUGGLE"

PALESTINA.com.mx (A Link on AZTLAN.net): "PALESTINA DELEGACION ESPECIAL EN MEXICO"

PALESTINA.com.mx: "INTIFADA Levantamiento en Pro de la Soberania Palestina"

AZTLAN.net - La Voz de Aztlan News Bulletin: Los Angeles, Alta California - "NEW YORK TO BE 'NUKED' ON FEB. 2" (January 7, 2004)

AZTLAN.net: "OSAMA BIN LADEN: THE 'PANCHO VILLA' OF ISLAM"

"SODEPAZ.net"

"SODEPAZ.org/palestina"

[fatso]

if it the truth, we need to stop it now

[piasa]

Yes but you see that is what the rest of the world thinks.

No. That's what the elitist dictators who run most of the rest of the world think. Their people think, "I wish the US would help us get these arseholes out of power," or "what is taking the US so long?"

For example, the people of Zimbabwe aren't wondering "why can't we have missiles, etc," they are wondering if they will have enough to eat tomorrow while their farms lay in ruins.

The people of Cuba aren't wondering "why can't we have nukes, too?," they are wondering if they can find some innertubes or a way to make their old truck float long enough to get to Florida.

The people in Iraq weren't wondering "why can't we have chemical weapons?," they were until recently wondering why their governemnt thinks it is OK to use chemical weapons on them.

The people of Mexico aren't wondering "why can't we have biologival weapons," they are wondering about being able to take care of their families without having to pay off some crook.

Do you seriously think the greatest worry - or even a minor worry - of a majority of people in Africa is their nation having WMD capability?

I doubt it. I bet their biggest concern is feeding the family and doing something with their life. worries in other parts of Africa are not getting hacked to death by some orphaned kids, not getting subjected to shariah law by some religious fanatics, not being put on any unexpected diets by some nitwit marxist 'reformer' left over from the Cold War era, avoiding this or that odd disease, trying to get the best education they can, acquiring comfort, building businesses, spamming gullible Americans with emails, finding a spouse, etc.

I doubt very much that trying to get into a tit-for-tat WMD race with the US is a big priority for the average person. For a dictator speinding his people's money, such toys may be desireable. But for third world countries there are better ways to spend money and the people nost likely can think of these ways readily.