OCTOBER 3, 2003 : (DAVID KAY SAYS NORTH KOREA APPARENTLY BILKED IRAQ IN A MISSILE DEAL GONE SOUR) WASHINGTON (AP) — Missing: $10 million. Last seen in North Korea. If found, please contact Saddam Hussein. In a double-cross between nations President Bush has labeled parts of an "axis of evil" with Iran, North Korea apparently bilked Saddam's Iraq out of millions of dollars in a missile deal gone sour, according to chief CIA weapons hunter David Kay. In 1999, Saddam's minions sought some clandestine missile help from North Korea, Kay told reporters Friday. He described it as evidence Iraq intended to build long-range missiles in violation of U.N. prohibitions. The North Koreans were willing, particularly after Saddam plunked down a $10 million down payment. In exchange, Pyongyang was to provide parts from its No Dong class of ballistic missiles, a sort of super-Scud that can hit targets 800 miles distant, as well as send some other, unspecified assistance. A contract was inked. The money was sent. By 2002, Pyongyang hadn't delivered. "As a result of the Iraqis' inquiring 'Where is the stuff we paid for?', the North Koreans said, 'There's so much U.S. attention on us that we cannot deliver it," Kay said. "The Iraqis said, 'Well, we don't like this, but give us our $10 million back." The North Koreans refused, and kept refusing until Saddam's regime fell in April. Kay described Iraqi documents that contained increasingly desperate entreaties from the Iraqis for the money. "It's a lesson in negotiating with the North Koreans, as the Iraqis found out the hard way," Kay said. "Money in advance may not come your way if there's non-delivery on a contract." . - 'North Korea holds onto $10M payment," By JOHN J. LUMPKIN, The Associated Press 10/3/2003, 7:11 p.m. ET
Uh, would ya believe he shot himself six times? If Abu Nidal could do it, why can't a scientist?
OCTOBER 3, 2003 : (KAY SAYS AFTER SPEAKING WITH INVESTIGATORS IN IRAQ; ONE SCIENTIST ASSASSINATED, ONE WAS SHOT SIX TIMES AND SURVIVED - THIS SCIENTIST'S NEPHEW HAD ALSO BEEN SHOT) WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two Iraqi scientists were shot in Baghdad after they talked to the U.S.-led team hunting weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and others believe they will be in danger if they collaborate in the search, Washington's chief weapons inspector David Kay said on Friday. Kay, who is directing the WMD hunt as an adviser to the CIA, presented an interim report to U.S. lawmakers this week that said no banned weapons had yet been found. Some Iraqi scientists have sought relocation in the United States out of fear for the safety of their families, and others who want to stay in Iraq seek security guarantees, Kay told reporters on a conference call. "They believe they are in genuine danger ... if they collaborate with us," he said.
One scientist was "assassinated literally hours after meeting" with a member of the WMD-hunting team, killed by a single shot to the back of his head outside his apartment, Kay said. There were no signs of robbery.
Another scientist, who was "really golden for us," was shot six times but survived, he said. Kay declined to name them. "The scientist who took six bullets was ... key to starting our understanding of the biological weapons program and pointing us in the direction of others," he said. His nephew was also shot in the incident a month and a half ago, Kay said.
"We engaged in a lot of conversations with him. We perhaps were not as sensitive to his security needs as now in retrospect we realize we should have been," he said. "It's very difficult to conduct clandestine meetings in Iraq when you have to go pick people up because ... transport was hard to come by."
But Kay said cooperation from Iraqis, inside and outside detention, has increased. "This is an intelligence-led operation, we are absolutely dependent on the cooperation of Iraqis to help us discover the complete truth about the WMD programs," he noted. - "Kay: Two Iraqi WMD Scientists Shot for Helping U.S.," by Tabassum Zakaria, Reuters , 10/3/03