Posted on 05/07/2004 7:15:07 AM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
/begin my translation
Ryongchon Explosion Occurred While Transporting Military Cargo?
Sankei Shimbun, a Japanese Daily, reported on 7th (of May, 2004), "In Ryongchon Blast, Syrian engineers were killed and wounded. A wagon carrying a large cargo had a particularly heavy damage, revealed on 6th (of May, 2004) by a military news source who has great expertise on Korean matters." According to the source, "the content of the cargo is unknown. However, after the accident, N. Korean military personnels in protective suits arrived at the scene, and recovered the remains of the destroyed wagon. We strongly suspect that the accident occurred while transporting a top-secret cargo between N. Korea and Syria."
The paper went on to say, citing the source, "Passengers in the wagon were engineers dispatched from Syria's Scientific Investigation and Research Center(CERS). CERS's goal is promoting science and technology. It is also suspected of a major involvement in the Syria's development of WMD's."
It also reported, "Engineers were in a separate compartment in a wagon from the cargo compartment. It is not clear whether the cargo was the primary source of the explosion or the secondary source after explosion from other wagons. However, it is true that this wagon had the most extensive damage. Close to 10 personnels of both Syrians and N. Koreans were either killed or wounded."
Syrian casualties went home via a Syrian transport plane on May 1st, which was there to pick up the cargo. All personnels involved in the transport (of Syrians), both Syrians and N. Koreans, were again wearing protective suits.
The paper further added, "The behaviors of N. Korea and Syria showed that this cargo is of utmost secret nature, which they never want to disclose. Countries like America suspect that N. Korea and Syria are cooperating the development of Syrian Scud D missiles or chemical weapons."
/end my translation
My guess would be that it is in Pyongyang.
"PYONGYANG, May 1 (Xinhuanet) -- The last batch of assistance gratis goods provided by the Chinese government arrived late on Friday in Sinuiju, a border city of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). The relief goods included gasoline and diesel oil, glass and materials for plastic-steel windows as well as food. All the relief goods were transported to Ryongchon overnight, where a massive train explosion on April 22 killed at least 154 people and injured 1,300 others. Over 8,000 houses were damaged orruined to varying extent. China has so far provided the DPRK with 2,000 woolen carpets, 300 tents, as well as food, medicine, medical apparatuses and equipment, building materials and other relief goods. Two days after the train blast, the Chinese government promisedto provide relief goods worth 10 million yuan (about 1.2 million US dollars) to the DPRK. China stands as the first country to provide relief goods to the DPRK followed by South Korea, Russia and Syria. By the end of April, the DPRK has received over 18 million dollars worth of relief goods from around the world."
Syria is one of the first countries helping out with relief efforts? That is interesting!
Yup. They are all in the same boat.
Interesting, indeed!
On the other hand, friends help their friends, and since Syria is their friend, it makes sense that Syria would offer to help the DPRK, even if it were a natural disaster.
Also, dictatorships often accept aid in a particular order, preferring not to accept aid from enemy countries unless absolutely necessary. So, they would accept aid from China and Syria before accepting aid from the US.
After the earthquake in Bam, Iran, (sometime around the San Simeon earthquake in CA, which occurred a few days before Christmas in 2003), Iran accepted aid from everyone -- even the US -- except Israel.
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