NKorea ship suspected of carrying missiles

Associated Press ^ | 6/21/2009 | AP

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

A U.S. Navy destroyer is tailing a North Korean ship suspected of carrying illicit weapons toward Myanmar in what could be the first test of new U.N. sanctions against the North over its recent nuclear test, a leading TV network said Sunday.

The South Korean news network YTN, citing an unidentified intelligence source in the South, said the U.S. suspects the cargo ship Kang Nam is carrying missiles and related parts. Myanmar's military government, which faces an arms embargo from the United States and the European Union, has reportedly bought weapons from North Korea.

YTN said the U.S. has deployed a destroyer and is using satellites to track the ship, which was expected to travel to Myanmar via Singapore.

South Korea's Defense Ministry, Unification Ministry and National Intelligence Service said they could not confirm the report. Calls to the U.S. military command in Seoul were not answered late Sunday.

The ship is reportedly the first North Korean vessel to be tracked under the new U.N. sanctions.

Two U.S. officials said Thursday that the U.S. military had begun tracking the ship, which left a North Korean port Wednesday and was traveling off the coast of China.

One of the officials said it was uncertain what the Kang Nam was carrying, but that it had been involved in weapons proliferation before. Both spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence.

Tensions on the Korean peninsula have spiked since North Korea defiantly conducted its second nuclear explosion on May 25. It later declared it would expand its atomic bomb program and threatened war to protest the U.N. sanctions imposed in response to its nuclear test.

The sanctions toughen an earlier arms embargo against North Korea and authorize ship searches in an attempt to thwart its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

[Principled]

AP?

I don’t think we can post AP.

I could be wrong

[ClearCase_guy]

If UN sanctions mean anything -- anything at all -- then the UN Secretary General should announce to the world that the North Korean ship will be boarded and searched or else sunk, within 24 hours.

But, of course, UN sanctions don't mean anything -- at all.

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

I have and others have posted. the Newsday(AP) is on Jim’s personal page.

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

I agree that the ship must be boarded.

[gaijin]

So...if we pay them to NOT proliferate, they will have more money to develop weapons they’ll LATER proliferate, and if we do NOT pay them, they will surely proliferate in the short term.

Right?

So essentially it’s proliferate later, or proliferate now, and then later.

[Nervous Tick]

Whoopie do.

Like we’re actually going to DO anything about it with Bambi in charge, no matter WHAT it’s carrying. Especially if it’s docking in Myanmar, yet another corrupt third world dictatorship hellhole.

I feel bad for the sailors on our ships. Must be frustrating as hell.

[Jet Jaguar]

Usually, AP must be excerpted. But, it can be posted.

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

Thank you

[Huskrrrr]

Where's that Cowboy when you need him? Bring W in Obozo, you're outgunned.

[perchprism]

The last time the Kim Nam was searched, all it carries was scrap metal. I suspect the same this time, with the difference being that shots will be fired, or something like that to create the illusion of an international event. That’s when Chia Pet will fire off his missiles.

[AmericanInTokyo]

We either confront (and fight) North Korea when they have 1 or 2 nuclear weapons (bombs), or we wait and fight them when the have 20, plus more advanced long range delivery systems. Wonder if this enough of a no-brainer.

[hinckley buzzard]

The UN sanctions are meaningless. They do not authorize boarding unless permission is given, nor any other hostile action.

[LeoWindhorse]

this ship should be torpedoed and suck .
That’s the message

[Gandalf_The_Gray]

The last time the Kim Nam was searched, all it carries was scrap metal.

Just looking at that sorry heap of rust, barnacles, and noxious bilge water it's hard to imagine a crew desperate enough to take it into the open sea. Having said that how would you tell the "scrap metal" cargo from the "scrap metal" ship?

Regards,
GtG

[kjam22]

Yep... we should have sunk it with a sub. Taken no note of it... no credit. No press. Just .... it sank and nobody knows what happened.

[al baby]

Its just escorting it so it gets to the Mullahs safely as per Obamalamadingdong

[LeoWindhorse]

this can still be done

it’s heading for Myanmar , the most despicable nation in the region (other than NK)

take it out , say nothing .

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

I agree

[eaglestar]

Just as long as the USS John McCain keeps it’s distance, does not create any wake and keeps an open eye on the unloading of the missiles then everything will go according to plan at Obama UN headquarters.