Posted on 08/05/2006 4:49:31 AM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
With China cooperating, missile sanctions tighten
August 05, 2006 - In the aftermath of last month's launch of missiles by North Korea, China and other countries in the central Asian region are tightening the noose around potential air routes that could be used by Pyongyang to export its missile technology, a United States government official said yesterday.
In an exclusive interview with the JoongAng Ilbo, the official said, on the condition of anonymity, that in June last year an Iranian plane that had landed in the North and loaded North Korean missile parts had to unload and head back to Tehran empty, as China and another country in the region refused the use of their air space. Washington, which had received information about the flight, had asked the two countries not to allow the plane to pass through their territories, the official said. He added that about 80 percent of countries in the central Asian region had agreed to prevent North Korean missiles or weapons of mass destruction-related material from passing through their territory, including their air space, after consultations with Washington.
The official said that China had demonstrated its determination on other occasions to prevent the spread of North Korean materials or technology linked to weapons of mass destruction.
Regarding inter-Korean projects such as the Kaesong Industrial Complex and the Mount Kumgang tours through which Pyongyang receives much-needed cash, the U.S. official said that Seoul needed to "reassess" its overall policy towards the North.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon said yesterday it was unlikely that Beijing would impose economic sanctions despite having lost face in the recent North Korean missile launch, in spite of Beijing publicly asking that it not do so. The foreign minister said the international community would keep up pressure on the North until it returned to the six-party talks and promised to halt its missile tests. Mr. Ban also blamed Pyongyang for denting inter-Korean relations and making relations between Seoul and its allies "bumpier."
by Kang Chan-ho, Brian Lee
Ping!
It'll be slower by boat. That's all they get.
Interesting that Iran has to rely upon a backward and isolated country like North Korea for technology. They've had all the money in the world for machine tools, processing equipment, and black market weapons to reverse engineer, but apparently can't get it done themselves. They certainly have more access to world markets than North Korea has.
Bump
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