US Knows Nuclear Transaction between North Korea and Pakistan

On November 24, the New York Times reported that although U.S. is aware of the fact that North Korea is pushing for nuclear development plan with condensed uranium taking supports from Pakistan, it is not making the matter as an issue publicly, to get Pakistan’s help necessary to track Osama Bin Laden and his terror organization, Al-Qaidah, the principal offender of the September11th terror attacks.

Focusing on transaction process of missiles and nuclear technologies between North Korea and Pakistan, the newspaper claimed “Official and experts of U.S., Pakistan, and South Korea we have interviewed for last three weeks told us ‘relation of North Korea and Pakistan seems much more strong and dangerous than we, U.S. and its Asian allies suspected at first.’”

The newspaper, however, pointed out “U.S. has never referred role of other nations such as Pakistan while it has exerted hefty diplomatic pressure on North Korea to make it abandon nuclear development plan, and stopped heavy oil supply to it for last two months.”

The newspaper insisted that U.S. military satellite caught a Pakistani transport plane loading parts of guided missiles in North Korea in July and added the fact that the plane, used to carry the parts at the moment, is a C130, made in America, might make subtle effect on United States.

It said that military relation of North Korea and Pakistan goes back to 1970s, but crucial beginning was in 1993, when the Korean Peninsula got through nuclear crisis. The newspaper quoted a Pakistani official as saying, “When Benazir Bhutto, Prime Minister of Pakistan, visited North Korea, accompanying Pakistani delegates drafted Rodong missile importing plans.”

Ki-Heung Han eligius@donga.com