Posted on 06/16/2003 2:51:17 AM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
North’s air cargo: missiles
North Korea has continued to export its missiles to a frequent buyer, Iran, South Korea and U.S. intelligence sources said yesterday. But the shipments are now going by air; the officials believe that the North switched to air shipments because one of its ships loaded with missiles was intercepted on its way to Yemen in December.
The new intelligence was apparently one of the reasons for the timing of the meeting last week in Spain, led by the United States, to discuss with other countries ways to cut off the proliferation of mass weapons.
The intelligence officials said the United States spotted Iran’s IL-76 Russian-made cargo aircraft leaving Sunan Airport in Pyeongyang on six occasions since April. Although the cargo was in containers, the officials said, they have concluded that the payload was disassembled Rodong missiles, the same type that were sold to Pakistan in 1998. The containers were too small, the sources said, for less-effective Scud missiles.
The Rodong missile has a range of 1,300 kilometers (800 miles). In 1987 and 1991, Iran imported North Korean-built Scuds.
“The Iranian cargo planes that took off from Sunan Airport flew over China and central Asian countries,” an intelligence source said. “The planes headed directly to Iran.”
The source also noted the frequency of the trips by the Iranian aircraft. “Until last year, Iran’s airplanes visited about twice a year at most,” he said.
Another intelligence source said, “Washington is trying to come up with measures to contain the North’s missile sales but avoid the international law dispute that broke out at the time of the interception of the North Korean ship, the Sosan.”
The United States has vowed publicly to try to stop North Korea’s exports of missiles and weapons of mass destruction. President George W. Bush proposed a “proliferation security initiative” to stop trade in weapons of mass destruction when he visited Poland on May 31. Since then, Washington has continued to emphasize the need for legal measures to contain weapons exports by the North.
The G-8 summit in France, the proliferation security initiative meeting in Spain and the trilateral meeting with Seoul and Tokyo, all held this month, were marked by strong U.S. comments about the necessity of blocking further North Korean weapons exports.
“North Korea has long argued that there are no legal grounds to stop its missile sales, but the United States is determined to push the containment of North Korea,” a Seoul official said on the condition of anonymity. “North Korea-U.S. relations may worsen further because of the proliferation security initiative.”
North Korea has a long history of exporting missiles; U.S.-Spanish joint operations led to the interception and search of the North Korean ship Sosan but raised concerns in the international community. Japan arrested a businessman Thursday for alleged exports of equipment that could help the North develop missiles.
Under the surface, Iran and N. Korea are furiously working together.
China should shut down any air traffic into and out of N. Korea. It should hurry or things could run out of control.
Maybe even on top, too.
Supposedly we're helping the people improve their standard of living so that they can eventually throw off their oppressive government or something like that -- I sure hope they do it in time!
Ok. I've started a business using an anvil I bought from Harbor Freight (Cheep Charlie Chinese "steel"). I buy steel from Texas Industries which employs 1500 people in Midlothian, Texas. I buy blacksmith coal which comes from mines in the Virginias. I had to build a studio out of steel and concrete, employing a crew of 5 Texans for several months. They used thousands of Radnor welding rods.....from Radnor PA.
I tell you this because I was astonished at how much domestic industrial activity was really "sparked" by that and was all really started back at the purchase of that stupid, cheap, communist made anvil.
I'll tell you something. American business and enterprise does not suffer because people like myself trade American Dollars to the Chinese for goods. America suffers today because people sit on their asses and complain and whine instead of contributing to the economic cycle that keeps everybody busy. So shut the hell up and go DO something productive, like I'm about to go do. I'm done with coffee, and you've made me mad!!!
I like this point as it seems that many of today's yutes have no idea that capitalism is what makes our world go round. Its like money grows on trees, man.
...American business and enterprise does not suffer because people like myself trade American Dollars to the Chinese for goods. America suffers today because people sit on their asses and complain and whine instead of contributing to the economic cycle that keeps everybody busy. So shut the hell up and go DO something productive, like I'm about to go do...
Good story, and good point!
I've got some fresh coffee here if you need a little more. ;-)
Does it seem to you that we are choosing to close US factories, Doubty? Who is we??
Factory CEOs/owners/shareholders are making those decisions, as they should.
Let me frame this in a tax-morality light. It's interesting to ask what maximum percentage the government should be allowed to take of your income: 38%? 50%? Why not 100%?
So let's ask: "How much imports should "we" be allowed? 62%? 50.000%? 0%?"
Once we get to 50%, or "ZERO" trade deficit, should "we" close the borders? Who decides what value of exported steel vs. imported textiles is a "fair" trade? The government? Or the buyers?
What boundaries should be protected? Should Rhode Island be protected from Oklahoma oil fields? Should Kansas be protected from California's semiconductor exports? Why should Mike Dell and Carly Fiorina be allowed to transfer most of America's PC development jobs to Austin and Houston? It's not fair to the Gateway folks who lost their jobs in Sioux City, South Dakota!
And then, why should cities not be protected? Should Corsicana, Texas withhold fruitcake exports to Seattle until Starbucks agrees to drop its prices for Joe?
[Enjoying more coffee this morning, thankyouverymuch!]
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