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| China-Japan-Koreas |
| NORKS Peddling Missles to Sub-Sarahan Africa |
| 2004-02-10 |
| From East-Asia-Intel, subscription req’d... Yang Hyong-Sop, vice chairman of the Presidium of the North Korean Supreme People’s Assembly, is wrapping up a tour of Africa, including Nigeria, where he confirmed suspicions that North Korea plans to expand its missile business to the sub-Saharan region. Just what everyone down there needs. More missles, when they cannot control their own country. While visiting Nigeria Jan. 27-31, Yang reportedly proposed sharing missile technology with the African military giant, triggering concerns about a new arms race among some of the world’s least-stable nations. Who can least afford it. But the NORKS want to sow more dissention and trouble to get the heat off them, or attempt to strengthen their bargaining position in the six way talks. Their playbook is getting old, very old, and GW is not buying. In a meeting with Nigerian Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Yang proposed to sell Nigeria advanced missile technology, according to the Nigerian government. North Koreans showed their Nigerian military counterparts a "catalog of what they have," the government said. "See Atiku, may I call you Atiku? Good. If you really feel you can handle it, this is the Bigh Dong, which, when topped with the warhead ’flavor’ of your choice, will make your enemies, lackey dogs that they are, run hither and thither in great excitement." Yang, as the No. 2 man at the SPA Presidium, North Korea’s highest decision-making body, is one of highest-level officials in the communist nation. Its head, Kim Yong-Nam, serves as the country’s ceremonial head of state. A Nigerian government spokesman said the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding to share missile technology, but said no hardware acquisitions had yet been made or decided upon. So many models to choose from. Decisions. Decisions. Better see if the Minister of Finance’s arm can be twisted a few more degrees. North Korea has maintained close ties with Nigeria since the two countries concluded a military cooperation accord in 1992, a year after Pyongyang’s defense minister made a groundbreaking visit to Lagos. Nigeria having trouble getting mil help from others? The United States has voiced concerns over the possible missile transaction and urged Nigeria not to pursue such a deal. If the missile deal goes through, Nigeria would be North Korea’s first known sub-Saharan partner. Some Mideast countries, including Libya, Iran, Egypt, Pakistan and Syria, have reportedly received North Korean technical assistance with either missiles or missile technology. Maybe we will be able to look over the Libyan stuff soon. North Korea, which has developed missiles capable of carrying warheads as far as Japan, is cited by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency as being the world’s largest exporter of ballistic missiles. According to Seoul’s Defense Ministry, North Korea exported $60 million worth of Scud missiles and parts to Yemen, Iraq, Syria and Iran in 2002. Between 1999 and 2001, Pyongyang sold $50 million in missile parts to Yemen, Pakistan and Syria. The United States alleges that North Korea reaped about $560 million from missile sales in 2001. "African nations will refrain from receiving missiles or missile technology from North Korea because it is sure to annoy the United States," said Cheon Seong-Whun, a researcher at the Korean Institute for National Unification, a government-run think tank. "North Korea knows that. Its missile bid is part of its ploy to arouse anxiousness in the United States rather than actually reaching missile deals," he said. Might even piss us off real bad. Yang also visited Senegal and met President Abdoulaye Wade to discuss ways to promote economic cooperation between the two nations and resolve the international standoff over Pyongyang’s nuclear ambitions, Pyongyang’s state-run media said on Feb. 7. Senegal? WTFO? Yang and Wade signed an agreement to boost economic and technological cooperation, the (North) Korean Central Broadcasting Station said, without elaborating on the Feb. 5 accord. Maybe Senegal can export grass and treebark. Yang’s Senegal visit was part of his trip to African nations that included stops in Uganda, Nigeria and Guinea. South Korean intelligence officials said Yang would return home this week after visiting one or two more nations, including Cameroon. North Korea watchers in Seoul say Yang’s African visit seems part of a flurry of diplomatic efforts aimed at wooing support for Pyongyang’s position in the nuclear standoff with the United States. Yeah. Get Nigeria and Senegal on your side. The sooner the NORKS fall, the sooner the people of North Korea can be saved from starvation. How goes the campaign, Amnesty International? |
| Posted by:Alaska Paul |
| #6 We've all heard about the Norkie misssle tests, so if the ocean attacks Sub Saharan Africa, it's dead meat. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2004-2-10 7:44:38 PM |
| #5 I'm thinking Mr. Yang needs a new flight crew and a "no-parachute" drop from high altitude |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-2-10 6:54:58 PM |
| #4 Missiles being the Nork's only cash crop, is it really any wonder that they would try to, er, ship there, ah, surplus to the starving folks in Africa? Sorry, was thinking like an international apologist. I'm better now. |
| Posted by: eLarson 2004-2-10 6:15:10 PM |
| #3 Pirates anyone? |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2004-2-10 6:13:47 PM |
| #2 Arrrr, Mojo. No more nice intercepts. The NORKS usually cover their missle cargo with cement, so the whole shebang should go to Davey Jones toot sweet. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2004-2-10 6:07:23 PM |
| #1 Gotta get 'em there. I forsee a lot of accidents happening to Nork ships way out at sea. |
| Posted by: mojo 2004-2-10 5:38:36 PM |