http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=northkorea
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=nkorea
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NOTE: The following post is a quote:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1795851/posts
North Korean diplomats' children ordered to return from abroad: report
Kyodo News (Japan) (excerpt) ^ | March 5, 2007
Posted on 03/05/2007 7:29:45 PM PST by HAL9000
Excerpt -
(Kyodo) _ North Korea's ruling party has ordered children of North Korean diplomats and other representatives stationed overseas to return home, for reasons unknown, a South Korean daily reported Tuesday.
"The Workers' Party of Korea recently issued a directive to overseas missions that children of diplomats and representatives send their children home," the Joongang Ilbo newspaper quoted a source well-versed in North Korean affairs as saying in Seoul.
The reason remains unclear, but another Seoul-based expert on North Korea was quoted as saying it may be related to preventing defection of diplomats.
~ snip ~
(Excerpt) Read more at asia.news.yahoo.com ...
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NOTE: The following post is a quote:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1795332/posts
UN aid programme (UNDP) suspends operations in North Korea
AFP on Yahoo ^ | 3/4/07 | AFP
Posted on 03/04/2007 9:56:30 PM PST by NormsRevenge
SEOUL (AFP) - The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has suspended operations in North Korea following US claims that its funds were being diverted to prop up the communist regime.
In January the US delegate to the UN Mark Wallace charged that North Korea had, since 1998 and with the complicity of UNDP, "systematically perverted" the aid programme "for the benefit of the Kim Jong Il regime, rather than the people of North Korea."
The UNDP said in a statement seen Monday on its website: "As of March 1, 2007, UNDP has no choice but to suspend its operations in North Korea as the necessary conditions set out by the executive board on January 25 have not been met."
The agency's measures include ending all payments in hard currency to Pyongyang and discontinuing sub-contracting of local staff via government recruitment as of March 1, it said.
The agency said its position "could be reconsidered if these circumstances change."
Following the US claims, which were angrily denied by the North, UN chief Ban Ki-moon called for an audit of UN programmes and funding in countries such as North Korea.
The UNDP had earlier suspended 17.9 million dollars in its 2007-09 budget for its operations in North Korea pending the outcome of the inquiry and said it would stop paying workers in hard currency from March 1.
The US House of Representatives introduced a resolution on February 8 calling on the United States to suspend its contributions to UNDP.
In a background report on its website, the UN agency said that over the past decade, it has funded about three million dollars in development activities per year in North Korea.
"There has been no concerns raised that UNDP funds have been diverted to the North Korean nuclear arms programme or otherwise used for purposes other than those intended," it said.
North Korea in January described the US claims as part of a smear campaign by hardliners in Washington, designed to torpedo talks on shutting down its nuclear programme.
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http://www.defenselink.mil/news/NewsArticle.aspx?ID=3214
"Terror, Iran, North Korea Top List of Threats"
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Feb. 28, 2007
Monterey County sheriff's deputies found a man unconscious in a Castroville alley near a bag that contained parts of a bomb, the sheriff's office reported Monday.
Robert Bayne, 44, was found at about 10:23 a.m. Saturday morning suffering from a gash to his head by Monterey County sheriff's deputies in the middle of an alley behind 11081 Merritt St. Near Bayne was a camouflage duffel bag containing several military surplus items, 14 inches of detonation cord, 12 inches of time fuse, two M-60 fuse igniters and 1 M228 time fuse, according to authorities.
Bayne, in a semiconscious state, was unable to tell deputies how he had been injured or where he was, the sheriff's office reported. Bayne was transported to Watsonville Community Hospital to receive treatment for the 1-inch gap over his eye. A search of Bayne's residence did not uncover any more explosive components, the sheriff's office reported.
Explosive Ordinance Disposal technicians who were called to the scene stated that Bayne had all the components to make a bomb. All the materials were later taken to a safe place and destroyed.
http://www.nbc11.com/news/11177818/detail.html
Two bombs found in city impound lot (Tennessee)
03-05-2007
“This was not a hoax,” Sweetwater Police Chief Eddie Byrum said Monday night after two active bombs were found in SPD’s impound lot behind the Teachers Center on South High Street several hours earlier. No one was injured and the Knox County Bomb Squad safely detonated the bombs using a robot.
Byrum said he and SPD Detective Marty Kile found the improvised explosive devices (IEDs) around 3 p.m. while they were inventorying seized cars that were to be sold. One of the explosive devices was found was under an old surplus police car and the other was near a car. About 18-20 cars were on the lot.
Excerpted
http://monroe.xtn.net/index.php?template=news.view.subscriber&table=news&newsid=138218
Afghanistan: Taliban Claims Control Of Another Helmand District
Karachi, 5 March 2007 - At least 19 Afghan civilians have been killed over the past 24 hours in strikes and gunfire incidents by coalition forces in Afghanistan in response to militant attacks on NATO targets. Although NATO has said it is trying to reduce civilian casualties, the attacks look set to continue as the "spring offensive" materialises. Taliban commander Abdul Khaliq told Adnkronos International (AKI) that they have taken control of Nawzad district in Helmand province and prior to the recent attacks the Taliban distributed leaflets warning people to keep away from NATO installations or convoys.
In an interview with AKI, Taliban commander Abdul Khaliq said that with their recent seizure of the Nawzad district in the restive southern Afghan province of Helmand, their spring offensive had begun.
Excerpted
http://www.adnki.com/index_2Level_English.php?cat=Terrorism&loid=8.0.391792506&par=0