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North Korea 'providing materials to Syria chemical weapons factories'
North Korea has been sending equipment to Syria that could be used to make chemical weapons, a UN report says.
Some 40 previously unreported shipments were made between 2012 and 2017, the report found. Materials included acid-resistant tiles, valves and pipes.
The leaked report says North Korean missile specialists have been seen at Syrian weapon-making centres.
The allegations follow new reports of chlorine being used by Syrian forces, which the government denies.
The New York Times: U.N. Links North Korea to Syria’s Chemical Weapons Program
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North Korea Accused of Providing Materials to Syria Chemical Weapons Factories
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(Score: 4, Touché) by hemocyanin on Thursday March 01 2018, @02:12AM (6 children)
Yellow cake for Saddam, chemicals for Bashir, NY Times war cheer leading -- it all works out so conveniently for neocons, neolibs, pipeline companies, oil companies, and the MIC in general.
(Score: 2) by hemocyanin on Thursday March 01 2018, @02:13AM (4 children)
Meant to spell check the name first -- apologies to Bashar al-Assad.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 01 2018, @02:43AM (3 children)
Apologize to everyone else, not him.
(Score: 2) by hemocyanin on Thursday March 01 2018, @02:55AM (2 children)
Right -- because the media would never fan the flames of war. Remember the Maine and yellow journalism. http://www.pbs.org/crucible/frames/_journalism.html [pbs.org]
(Score: 5, Interesting) by Runaway1956 on Thursday March 01 2018, @03:37AM (1 child)
Can't argue what you posted. At the same time, missile technology has historically followed a well worn route from China to the mideast.
China develops.
A decade later, China sells to N. Korea.
A few years later - two, three, sometimes ten years - those missiles are sold to Iraq, Iran, or whoever.
N. Korea fuels unrest in the region, that is a given. They can't compete with the US/UK, but they keep the pot stirred!
Chemical weapons? It isn't any great stretch that N. Korea is going that route.
Of course, there remains some doubt as to who the customers are. Is it the Syrian government, or is it the "rebels"? One thing that puts the various rebel factions into doubt, is the fact that DAESH never claimed chemical weapons capability. They never demonstrated such a capability, either. Past chemical weapons incidents, however, leave a lot to interpretation. It seems as likely that the anti-Syrian forces have used or mishandled chemical weapons, as that Syria has them.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 01 2018, @09:07AM
I don't think it is for weapons which are specifically primarily "chemical" (toxic) by their effect. Syrian government already has advantage in heavy weaponry, they can as easily blast their opponents as they could choke or gas them.
Synthesis of modern explosives, gunpowder, and hypergolic rocket propellants all require chemical processes involving highly corrosive (and toxic too) chemicals. Syria is in war and therefore it requires a lot of those. That's why I believe this news piece is intentionally loaded with allegations of intent of chemical weapons usage, because "chemical weapons" is a sort of magical spell for virtually automatic approval by UNSC for attack on perpetrator.
N. Korea recently gained a lot of notoriety for (among other things) their high performance missiles program, and that is why it is a go to address for technology purchase for other rogues and pariahs of the world who think they need to manufacture missiles themselves.
For me, interesting take out from this is that this shows Assad is not so very sure in Russian prolonged support, and that is why he is trying to become more self-reliant. Russian vine withering means he might be a bit softer in negotiations.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by takyon on Thursday March 01 2018, @02:54AM
North Korea has been doing stuff like this for years. It's hardly a stretch.
There doesn't seem to be a "red line" for North Korea, other than some tough talk about their development of a ICBM capable of reaching the U.S. They already have nukes.
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