Posted on 08/10/2008 11:24:02 PM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
India doesn’t let North Korea plane overfly to Iran
Pranab Dhal Samanta
Posted online: Friday, August 08, 2008 at 0145 hrs IST New Delhi, August 7
India this afternoon withdrew its permission for a North Korean plane to overfly Indian airspace on its way to Iran, just before it could take off from Mandalay in Myanmar where it had made a stopover. This, sources have told The Indian Express, was done after instructions from the Prime Minister’s Office this morning.
It’s learnt that on August 4, Indian authorities had given permission to the North Korean plane — its call sign is KOR 621 — to overfly Indian airspace today. The civilian plane, an IL-62, is said to be part of the country’s Air Koryo fleet and was on “non-scheduled operations,” possibly a government charter.
While seeking permission, Korean authorities had said that the plane would depart Mandalay around 1 pm today and would overfly Indian airspace on its way to Tehran. The permission, which was valid until 1 pm on August 9, was granted under routine civil aviation norms, said sources.
However, this morning, top PMO officials are said to have hurriedly contacted Civil Aviation authorities asking them to cancel the orders. Even the return journey permission has been cancelled.
DGCA authorities got in touch with Kolkata Air Traffic Control and an urgent cancellation message was relayed to Yangon ATC, which, in turn, ensured the plane did not take off from Mandalay. Later, a formal cancellation order was sent.
The North Korean plane had not declared whether it was on passenger or freight duty. Officials were still unclear over the purpose of visit and whether Tehran was indeed the final destination or another transit halt. What prompted such urgent action is still not clear but given the political sensitivities involved over the nuclear programmes of both these countries, sources said, high-level intelligence may have been passed on to the National Security Advisor.
The flight was on its way to Iran a day after US President George W Bush visited South Korea where he made it clear that North Korea needs to do “much more” before it could get off the US “axis of evil” list. As for Iran, the US is currently upset Tehran’s response to the latest offer from the West to induce it to freeze uranium enrichment.
A gift of roasted dog meat from one midget thug to another.
Thank you, India. Very responsible.
THANK YOU INDIA.
Ping!
Probably another hunnert centrifuges. One corner of the axis of evil to another. Brothers in nukes.
yitbos
Did you find out what was in the plane?
I want to know, also....LOL
Kudos to India...the most populous democracy on the planet. (We forget that sometimes.)
/bkmark
Good.
At least India has the b@lls to tell the Chia pet to screw off.
Iran? Yeah, ya go North about 97,000 blocks, and take a left.
Very interesting
Wow!
What was in that plane? Missiles, missile parts, or nuclear material? That plane should have been shot down.
Probably missiles.
Amazing. Make them overfly the Indian Ocean where some US assets could give them an inflight colonoscopy.
And, I believe, the AF exercises in Alaska again welcome an Indian contigent this month.
Got give props to India to tell Chia Pet where to go
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