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| China-Japan-Koreas |
| North Korean Train Explosion Foiled Syrian Missile Shipment |
| 2004-05-18 |
| The picture is starting to clear up a bit. A North Korean missile shipment to Syria was halted when a train collision in that Asian country destroyed the missile cargo and killed about a dozen Syrian technicians. U.S. officials confirmed a report in a Japanese daily newspaper that a train explosion on April 22 killed about a dozen Syrian technicians near the Ryongchon province in North Korea. The officials said the technicians were accompanying a train car full of missile components and other equipment from a facility near the Chinese border to a North Korea port. A U.S. official said North Korean train cargo was also believed to have contained tools for the production of ballistic missiles. North Korea has sold Syria the extended-range Scud C and Scud D missiles, according to reports by Middle East Newsline. "The way it was supposed work was that the train car full of missiles and components would have arrived at the port and some would have been shipped to Syria while others would have been transported by air," an official said. Officials said the North Korean shipment to Syria was not meant to have contained chemical or biological weapons. They said foreign rescue crews summoned to the train explosion did not report any chemical contamination. The explosion was said to have been caused by a collision of two trains. The collision downed an electrical power line, the sparks from which detonated the fuel from the train. On May 4, the Tokyo-based Sankei Shimbun quoted a military source that reported the death of the Syrian technicians. The newspaper said North Korean military personnel, wearing protective suits, removed the vestiges of the destroyed equipment meant for Syria. The technicans were representatives of Syria’s Center for Scientific Research, which has been cited for helping develop that country’s weapons of mass destruction program. The technicians were said to have been trained in North Korea to operate the equipment. Sankei said the bodies of the Syrians were flown home by a Syrian aircraft, which had arrived in Pyongyang to deliver aid supplies. |
| Posted by:AzCat |
| #16 The two remaining Axis of Evil states both have massive train explosions (the biggest in the last 50 years) within two months of each other that destroy trains apparently carrying weapons destined for terrorists or rogue states. Weapons destined for Afghanistan in the case of Iran. One hell of a coincidence! I bet Kimmi won't be taking his train for while. My guess is a stealth UAV firing a missile. |
| Posted by: Phil B 2004-05-19 4:13:37 AM |
| #15 Shipman, say it ain't so. 27 Braves up 27 Braves down. They do the shake, the rattlesnake shake. But I'm watching a veteran M's team eat all sorts of Humble pie |
| Posted by: Lucky 2004-05-19 1:21:04 AM |
| #14 Anda yes! I read the Lucky Guy! and underatnd. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2004-05-18 6:47:07 PM |
| #13 Nope, no radioactity, that'd be easy. But their still the chance that Kim was lost in a heroic manner saving the kimmchee children of the blown away school but I doubt it. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2004-05-18 6:46:22 PM |
| #12 I would love to know the details behind this (CIA, SKor, Japan?). Whoever it was apparently did a good job. Got rid of missles (and related infrastructure), technicians, and sent a strong message to Kimmie (back off jack: go watch your internet porn and trouble us no more). |
| Posted by: Spot 2004-05-18 4:06:59 PM |
| #11 How about radioactivity? I'm confident that aerial and ground based atmospheric monitors were deployed after the incident. North Korea would have plenty of 'splaining to do if there were any radioisotopes present in the collected samples. It would kinda ruin their claims that they are not going to market their nuclear wares abroad. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2004-05-18 3:50:13 PM |
| #10 Pine boxes? More like ash trays. I was going to insert Zip-Locs but it just didn't roll off the tongue quite right. Besides, they could be little bitty wooden matchboxes. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2004-05-18 3:46:38 PM |
| #9 No chem/bio? Howabout radioactivity? |
| Posted by: someone 2004-05-18 2:51:08 PM |
| #8 Uh, guys, these details don't make sense to me. What _sort_ of missiles are we talking about? I thought North Korea's IRBM's were mostly liquid fueled; this would mean they'd be shipped _empty_ and fueled on the launch site. I know that solid rocket fuel can sometimes explode, but I thought it was more likely to deflagarate than detonate? (Unless there were a very strong shock wave?) (Oh drat, now I have to read up on solid rocket fuel accidents when I get home). |
| Posted by: Phil Fraering 2004-05-18 1:55:14 PM |
| #7 The explosion measured 3.6 Richter... 0.8 megaton blast. There is a lot more of this than meets the news. Maybe the 'sharp spears' are active. |
| Posted by: john 2004-05-18 1:40:49 PM |
| #6 Zenster: Quite refreshing as well to see Syria's missile technician crew go home in pine boxes. Pine boxes? More like ash trays. |
| Posted by: Zhang Fei 2004-05-18 1:39:24 PM |
| #5 "Sparks detonating train fuel" is ridiculous: fire yes, massive explosion no. Cruise missile on a train schedule is more likely. |
| Posted by: Tom 2004-05-18 1:22:12 PM |
| #4 Nice to watch such murderous payloads serve some sort of constructive purpose for a change. Quite refreshing as well to see Syria's missile technician crew go home in pine boxes. I wonder if this will dampen their weapons R&D staff's enthusiasm for future junkets to North Korea. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2004-05-18 1:07:31 PM |
| #3 I would dearly love to believe that this was an "accident". |
| Posted by: Mercutio 2004-05-18 12:59:37 PM |
| #2 Crocodile tears in Tel Aviv.... |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-05-18 12:55:07 PM |
| #1 Baby Kim - Baby Assad Baby, baby |
| Posted by: BigEd 2004-05-18 12:34:35 PM |