No thanks Putin, Clinton already gave it to me.
Posted on 07/08/2006 5:20:41 PM PDT by Jet Jaguar
Russia is facing criticism after secretly offering to sell North Korea technology that could help the rogue state to protect its nuclear stockpiles and safeguard weapons secrets from international scrutiny.
Russian officials touted the equipment at an IT exhibition in Pyongyang a fortnight ago - just days before the Communist state caused international alarm by launching a salvo of short and long-range missiles into the Sea of Japan.
Students walk past a mock North Korean missile in Seoul Students walk past a mock North Korean missile in Seoul
In what appear to have been unguarded comments, Aleksei Grigoriev, the deputy director of Russia's Federal Information Technologies Agency, told a reporter that North Korea planned to buy equipment for the safe storage and transportation of nuclear materials, developed by a Russian government-controlled defence company.
The company, Atlas, also received interest from the North Koreans in their security systems and encryption technology - which were kept from display at the exhibition for security reasons.
In remarks made to the Russian Itar-Tass news agency - hastily retracted after publication - Mr Grigoriev said that the main aim of the June 28 exhibition was "establishing contacts with the Korean side and discussing future co-operation". Last week Russia, along with China, opposed a draft UN Security Council resolution, proposed by Japan and backed by America, that would bar missile-related financial and technology transactions with North Korea because of the missile tests.
As tensions over the missile tests mounted, the US government yesterday deployed its USS Mustin, equipped with so-called Aegis missile-tracking technology that is geared towards tracking and shooting down enemy missiles, to Yokosuka, home port to the US Navy's 7th Fleet.
On Friday, George W Bush called for the issue of the missile tests to be put before the Security Council. He said he wanted to make clear to Kim Jong Il, the North Korean leader, "with more than one voice" that the rest of the world condemned Wednesday's launches.
Sources close to the proposed sale of the equipment - which would have civil and military uses - said that it was evidence of Russia's secret support for its Soviet-era ally, which was once a bulwark against Chinese influence in the Far East. It was reported that the North Korean military interest in the exhibition stemmed from the dual purpose of many of the products and technologies on display.
Kim Jong Il Kim Jong Il
After the show, which led to plans for further meetings between the Russian and North Korean delegations, Mr Grigoriev said Pyongyang's primary interest in buying the equipment was to combat the "threat posed by international terrorism". However, the Russian embassy in Pyongyang immediately denied the report, claiming that it was "disinformation". Mr Grigoriev subsequently denied ever having spoken to the journalist concerned.
Disclosures of a possible deal are at odds with official Russian policy towards North Korea's nuclear programme. On June 22, North Korea's ambassador to Russia, Park Yi Joon, was summoned to the foreign ministry in Moscow and informed that -Russia "strongly objects to any actions that can negatively influence regional stability and worsen nuclear crisis on the Korean Peninsula".
There was also some anger domestically at Russia's opposition to the UN sanctions resolution. Although the Russian foreign ministry expressed anger that Moscow had not been notified of the launches, it went no further than issuing an anodyne statement expressing concern that the tests endangered Pacific Ocean shipping and "violated the commonly accepted world practice of giving a warning".
Western experts were not surprised that the two countries might be discussing sensitive military deals.
Nicholas Eberstadt, a North Korea expert at the American Enterprise Institute, a think tank in Washington, said that Russian policy towards North Korea had long been influenced by the desire to restore its Cold War-era influence.
"Russia often seems more ambitious to restore that influence than to play a positive role in international affairs," he said. "We've got no reason to doubt that Moscow is playing a double game with North Korea. It's not entirely surprising considering Vladimir Putin himself came up with the harebrained suggestion some years ago that Moscow, as a protector and provider for the North Korean regime, launch a North Korean satellite."
Mr Eberstadt suggested that any controversial business deals would be politically costly for the Kremlin. "If Moscow wishes to be on the record as the sole defender and apologist for the world's remaining revisionist and nuclear-proliferating regimes, then it would be interesting to see how its European friends would react."
The overall situation with North Korea is really quite simple . . .
China, Russia AND North Korea all want the U.S. influence in Asia to be reduced, and ultimately want the U.S. out of South Korea. North Korea wants the U.S. out more than anything else so that Kim and the North can eventually take control over South Korea.
China wants to take control over Taiwan, but is held back from doing so by U.S. military presence and power in the Region. The long-term play is to continue diminishing U.S. influence there... and eventually retake Taiwan before expanding elsewhere. Russia has increasingly become encircled by U.S. military and economic infuence to the west and south, and they will take advantage of any opportunity to push back to the east/southeast - even through North Korea and their nukes. Neither Russia nor China feel seriously threatened by Kim and co., but they are very threatened by the alpha male: the USA.
China and Russia are simply continuing to use North Korea as their proxy agent against the United States and, to a lesser extent, Japan ... This is no secret, our intellence community understands exactly what is going on, but our political leaders lack the courage to publicly acknowledge that reality and challenge the communists...
And the reason for this lack of courage? Easy: the same reason that our political leaders do not acknowledge the reality of the financial problems that await the country due to unfunded commitments for Social Security and Medicare.... Attempting to solve such problems will require the country to pay a price in the short-term that the bulk of the populace is not willing to pay. Attempting to take on China and Russia - who are just acting through their front-man Kim - would "cost" too much politically . . .
The real game of chess here is between the big boys - the U.S., China and Russia. North Korea is just the pawn in the game. Cold War II has been under way for years - we just haven't come to acknowledge and address it openly yet.
I would not disagree you. Well stated.
well stated.
Russia has lost much of its influence of eastern Europe and Schroeder was voted out. Putin lost a major ally there.
Russia has Syria and Iran left in the middle-east. So China and Russia they still see NK and asia as a way to exert influence in the region.
Russia no longer has the military to thug its way around the world. All they have now is energy and nuclear weapons. The two things they have left to exert power these days and are using it every way they can. Its a crime they are allowed into the G8. THey have the economy of Holland.
What do you expect? Putin is a communist.
Of course not. Kruschev was right, and the communists have not died.
Putin stages massive military marches every year on the anniversary of the end of WWII in europe. And all of the marchers are decked out in '80s Soviet uniforms.
Ping
I recently heard it is believed that this mental Il number 2 was born in Siberia, so his Russian connection runs deep.
I think they are on vacation....or catering to youts in hte burbs....
Like I said, he pines for the good ol days of seizing eastern europe as a spoil of war and setting up communist 5th columns around the globe.
"Well, just a tad surprised it wasn't China."
And you are tracking this very well, but missing the last step. It is all China, and this is misdirection.
"In what appear to have been unguarded comments, Aleksei Grigoriev, the deputy director of Russia's Federal Information Technologies Agency, told a reporter that North Korea planned to buy equipment for the safe storage and transportation of nuclear materials, developed by a Russian government-controlled defence company."
If such a person really had a "slip" of this magnitude, the result would be a an extensive, rather painful debriefing, followed by a bullet to the head.
KGB Putin wants nuclear proliferation to terrorist rogue regimes in order to challenge the USA's "global hegemony."
IBTRWC ( and what a tough row to hoe)
False Patriot Alert (Spanalot) - yes, if true this is not good news, but were I you spannie, I'd also try not to gloat too much because the Ukrainians are no better. Your country (Ukraine - you're not really a true American - your loyalties are with the socialists in Ukraine) is already rejoining their Slavic brothers. You must be oh-so-happy.
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