Up to 20 N.Korea Scientists, Military Defect-Paper

Reuters ^ | 4/19/03

[truthandlife]

Up to 20 high-ranking North Korean military officers and nuclear scientists have defected to the United States and its allies under a plan involving several countries including the Pacific state of Nauru, an Australian newspaper said on Saturday.

The defections began last October after 11 countries agreed to provide consular protection to smuggle North Koreans from China, The Weekend Australian said.

The man seen as the father of North Korea (news - web sites)'s nuclear program, Kyong Won-ha, was believed among the defectors, the newspaper said.

It said a U.S.-based lawyer approached Nauru's former president, Rene Harris, with an offer to foot the bill for establishing Nauruan embassies in Washington and Beijing, ostensibly to boost trade ties with those countries.

But the real reason for the Beijing embassy was "to expedite the movement of these very important people," the paper said, citing Harris.

Nauru's former finance minister, Kinza Clodumar, was quoted as saying he was briefed on what was dubbed "Operation Weasel" while with a Nauruan delegation in Washington in October.

"We were going to get a (North Korean) nuclear scientist and his family from a farm in China and then take them in a Nauru consulate car to an embassy," Clodumar said.

Some countries agreed to act as transit points for up to 30 days once the defectors left China, the paper said, citing "confidential documents and interviews with key players in Washington, the Pacific and North Asia."

But the paper said in the end, Nauru's diplomatic cover was not used to deliver defectors to safety.

The operation, which has now been wound up, was managed by Americans and New Zealanders operating at arm's length from their governments, the paper said.

Countries believed to have been involved include the United States, Nauru, New Zealand, Vanuatu, Thailand, the Philippines and Spain, the report said.

[Semper Paratus]

Working on the rest of the 'Axis'.

[blackdog]

This would explain NK's frustration of late. Nothing is worse than a half built nuclear bomb!

[scooby321]

Hmm very interesting

[MississippiMan]

This would explain NK's frustration of late.

My thoughts exactly. The old dictator is really in a tizzy, poor thing.

MM

[FreedomPoster]

News of bunker busters and decapitation strikes has to have raised his blood pressure a few notches.

[Illbay]

What is this deal where we're working with China to clamp down on N. Korea?

[Illbay]

Maybe a faultily-built nuclear detonator?

[SandRat]

Up to 20 high-ranking North Korean military officers and nuclear scientists have defected to the United States and its allies under a plan involving several countries including the Pacific state of Nauru, an Australian newspaper said on Saturday.

Good!

Let's get all of them here debreif them on what the NK has, where it's really at in the development of the bomb, and just how much technology it gave to Soooo-Dumb Insane, where, to who by name it was given, and all in very exact terms.

Then line them all up in front of the News Cameras and BLAST it out to the world and the world weenies!

[holden]

Gee, and Arizona Governor (former Energy Secretary) Bill Richardson with all of his Dimo & Kurintong allies were making such a wonderful media case a few of months ago about how unfortunate and misguided it was for the Bush administration not to be sitting down and talking with the North Koreans, as that eager beaver, "Loose Cannon Bill" was.

You thought you had the inside scoop and were going to whack the administration upside they heads at the same time, didn't you, guv? It was only gonna cost the American taxpayer an additional how much, Bill? BWA-HA-HA-HA!

HF

[Grampa Dave]

China apparently has recently shut down their oil pipeline to the NK's.

[Grampa Dave]

Here is the link to the thread from Australia.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/895957/posts

N Korean scientists defect ("Operation Weasel!")
The Weekend Australian ^ | April 19, 2003 | Martin Chulov and Cameron Stewart


Posted on 04/18/2003 12:19 PM PDT by ellery


A SWATH of North Korea's military and scientific elite, among them key nuclear specialists, has defected to the US and its allies through a highly secret smuggling operation involving the tiny Pacific island of Nauru.

The defections have taken place since last October and have been made possible through the help of 11 countries that agreed to provide consular protection to smuggle the targets from neighbouring China, according to sources close to the operation, which has now been wound up.

Some countries also agreed to act as transit points for up to 30 days once the defectors left China, the sources claim.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/895957/posts

[Guillermo]

Why would people want to leave Socialist Paradise North Korea for the Evil Capitalist USA?

[Nita Nupress]

You thought you had the inside scoop and were going to whack the administration upside they heads at the same time, didn't you, guv? It was only gonna cost the American taxpayer an additional how much, Bill? BWA-HA-HA-HA!

I remember an interview with Richardson a few months ago, perhaps the one to which you're referring. He actually came out and said (paraphrasing) that paying off NK would just be something we (i.e., the taxpayer) would have to do. He made no bones about it, either. His attitude was that bribing NK with $$ was just a necessary evil.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Looks like the NK scientists are getting sick and tired of Kim Dong Ill and his stupid crap.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

No joke. North Korea is China's insurance policy. NK is the bad-boy rogue state that is doing China's dirty work and they're crazy enough to do just about anything. China denies that they are the ones pulling the strings, but we all know the truth is different.

[cocoapuff]

richardson is new mexico's probelm arizona has clintonian janet napolitano!!

[TN4Liberty]

N Korean scientists defect ("Operation Weasel!")

So the French and Germans were involved too?

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

Arizona Governor (former Energy Secretary) Bill Richardson ...

Hey! We have dopey Janet Nepalitano (D) here... don't dump former NM Gov Bill Richardson on us too!! And I agree he's a lower level equivalent of Jimmah or X42 trying to act as if he's still in his former job as Energy Secretary.

[Grampa Dave]

I have a feeling the name of the Operation Weasel was not an accident?

French, Germany and Russia will be involved up to their clymers as usual.

Again we will see the Axis of Whining Weasels doing what they do best.