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Nigeria Makes Missile Deal With N. Korea
North Korea has agreed to share missile technology with Nigeria, Africaâs most populous nation and a regional military giant, the government announced Wednesday. Well, isnât that special. Officials gave no details of Tuesdayâs deal, including whether Nigeria would receive assembled missiles or just technology to make them. Nigeria said any missile help would be used for "peacekeeping" and to protect its territory. I guess it depends on your definition of "peacekeeping". Vice President Atiku Abubakar agreed to the "program of cooperation that includes missile technology" with Yang Hyong Sop, the visiting vice president of the North Korean presidium, Abubakar spokesman Onukaba Ojo, told The Associated Press. The North Korean was to be in Nigeriaâs capital, Abuja, through Saturday. Weapons sales are a major revenue source for financially strapped North Korea. That and sales of "White Slag". In 2003, the United States imposed sanctions on a North Korean company, Changgwang Sinyong Corp., for selling missiles to Pakistan. A shipment of North Korean Scud missiles bound for Yemen was briefly stopped in December in the Arabian Sea. Long sea trip to Nigeria, lots of things could happen. A statement issued by Abubakarâs office said the West African nationâs "government would continue to cooperate with the Korean government in the defense sector, an area in which both Nigeria and North Korea had cooperated over the years." Yes, and donât think we havenât noticed. Nigeria hoped the United States and other Western nations opposed to North Korean nuclear and weapons proliferation would respect the deal, Ojo said. "We are a sovereign nation. We should be able to cooperate with any nation we wish to cooperate with as long as it is in the best interests of Nigeria," Ojo added, stressing the West African government "is not shopping around for nuclear technology or weapons of mass destruction. Whatever we are discussing with them is only to enhance the capability of our military for peacekeeping and to protect Nigeriaâs territorial integrity," Ojo added. "Cameroonâs been making faces at us. And we donât trust Mexico either." Nigeria, with 126 million people, is a political and military heavyweight on the continent and a frequent recipient of U.S. military and law enforcement assistance. Which needs to be looked into. Its military supplies much of the manpower of regional peace missions. North Korean scuds being just the thing to keep the peace. It is Africa, peace agreements usually mean fighting will resume after nap time. Posted by: Steve 2004-01-28 |
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