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| Axis of Evil |
| North Korea seeks Namibia's support against 'US hostility' |
| 2003-01-29 |
| Sharon sent me this, along with a reminder that The Namibian is not an alias for The Onion... JATA KAZONDU NORTH Korea is seeking Namibia's support against the United States of America in a dispute over its contentious nuclear facilities. Oh, hell. We're in trouble now... The Ambassador-designate of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), Pak Kun Gwang, briefed Foreign Affairs Minister Hidipo Hamutenya on developments around the nuclear issue when he presented his credentials in Windhoek on Monday. Gwang accused the US of wanting to internationalise the nuclear issue with an eye to United Nations-imposed sanctions against the DPRK, instead of joining the Koreans in discussions to find an amicable solution. "We want Namibia to join South Africa in exposing and denouncing the US's intention to impose sanctions against the DPRK, and the people of that country's right to use their nuclear facilities for the production of energy," Gwang told Hamutenya. "So get right on it, wouldja?" He said his country's decision to re-activate nuclear facilities, which were frozen under a 1994 accord, is in direct response to the US's suspension of an annual supply of 500 000 tonnes of heavy crude oil to North Korea in December. "The DPRK decided to re-activate the nuclear programme to generate electricity for the country. But the US recently started to instigate the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to adopt resolutions against that development, terming it criminal," said Gwang. "Y'see, they're pickin' on us, an' we dint do nuttin'! Nuttin', I tell ya!" According to the North Korean diplomat, the resolutions are ultimately aimed at ensuring that the IAEA stops "the nuclear programme at once in a verifiable way" - a move which, he charged, "only goes to show that the IAEA remains a mouthpiece for the US... It is just being used as [an] implementation tool for US hostility against North Korea." "I mean, if they don't take our side, they're not disinterested parties, are they?" Hamutenya said Namibia will formulate its opinion on the issue as it gains greater understanding of the complexities involved. "Ummm... Yeah. We'll get back to you on that..." "Once we understand the issues better, you will be able to count on our support," Hamutenya said. "We should have a statement of support ready for you in, say, 2008... No, make that 2012..." |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |
| #1 I must not be getting enough sleep...for a moment there, I read that as "North Korea seeks NAMBLA's support". ...wouldn't be a stretch to believe, either. |
| Posted by: Tripartite 2003-01-29 21:38:07 |