[Imc-india] [www.washtimes.com] imc-india@lists.indymedia.org

[imc-india@lists.indymedia.org]

imc-india@lists.indymedia.org has sent you an article from The Washington T=
imes.

-----------------------------------------------------------

PAKISTAN PURCHASES N. KOREAN MISSILES

Nicholas Kralev=20
THE WASHINGTON TIMES

-----------------------------------------------------------

  =C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0Pakistan has purchased No Dong missiles fro=
m North Korea =E2=80=94 fully assembled and ready to fly =E2=80=94 promptin=
g the Bush administration to impose sanctions on the Pakistani company in c=
harge of the nation's nuclear weapons program.=20
=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0U.S. officials, who disclosed the transfer to=
 The Washington Times, said American-made C-130 aircraft were used to trans=
port the missiles to Pakistan.=20
=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0"This is a very serious matter," a senior adm=
inistration official said. "We are not talking about missile technology or =
components but full-fledged No Dong missiles that can deliver nuclear weapo=
ns =E2=80=94 and they used aircraft we gave them to bring the missiles home=
."=20
=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0The nuclear-capable missiles have a range of =
up to 900 miles and can reach virtually every major Indian city.=20
=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0A private Pakistani company, Kahn Research La=
boratories (KRL), also known as Kahuta Research Laboratories, is the direct=
 target of the sanctions. But U.S. officials said the transfer took place w=
ith the knowledge of the highest levels of the Pakistani government.=20
=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0The penalties, which are to be published in t=
he Federal Register as early as today, ban any business activities for two =
years between the U.S. government and KRL, which, according to the official=
, is primarily responsible for Pakistan's nuclear program.=20
=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0Another official said the transfers occurred =
"during a period of time ending in August, and we've been in close contact =
with the Pakistani government since November, urging it to stop this behavi=
or."=20
=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0Earlier reports, including a CIA document obt=
ained by The Washington Times last year, suggested North Korea's missile-re=
lated transfers to Pakistan included equipment, components, materials and t=
echnical expertise but not entire missiles.=20
=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0Washington has also imposed two-year Category=
 1 missile sanctions against North Korea, through the state-owned Changgwan=
g Sinyong Corp., under the congressional Arms Export Control Act, one offic=
ial said.=20
=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0"That has no huge practical impact because th=
ere is no trade between the United States and North Korea, but it's an impo=
rtant symbolic act that shows our focus on the North's proliferation behavi=
or and also tells the buyers how serious we are about this," he said.=20
=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0Because the end-user of the missile purchase =
cannot be sanctioned under the Arms Export Control Act, known as the missil=
e law, the penalty against the Pakistani company was enacted by a State Dep=
artment executive order signed last week by John Bolton, assistant secretar=
y of state for arms control and international security.=20
=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0While the Bush administration has discussed t=
he issue with authorities in Islamabad, it has not approached North Korea a=
bout it, the official said.=20
=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0A senior State Department official said Secre=
tary of State Colin L. Powell told Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf abo=
ut the sanctions in a telephone conversation Tuesday.=20
=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0"The secretary said that we have to follow ou=
r laws, but our bilateral relationship remains strong," the official said. =
"I think the Pakistanis understand that we are doing what is necessary lega=
lly and that this is not a political step."=20
=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0The Pakistani government has repeatedly denie=
d any purchases from North Korea, but over the weekend it acknowledged that=
 KRL has been sanctioned.=20
=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0The Foreign Ministry said in a statement that=
 the sanctions are unjustified but it would not affect "our determination t=
o pursue our indigenous missile program."=20
=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0Islamabad, which did not cite the reason for =
Washington's action, also sought to downplay its significance, saying KRL h=
as never depended on foreign assistance and the U.S. ban would have little =
impact.=20
=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0After September 11, 2001, the United States l=
ifted most sanctions previously imposed on Pakistan because of its nuclear =
program. Since then, Gen. Musharraf's government has been one of Washington=
's most important allies in the fight against terrorism, arresting some of =
al Qaeda's most senior leaders.=20
=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0Pakistan's reliability as an ally was called =
into question late last year amid reports it had provided nuclear-bomb-maki=
ng technology to North Korea in exchange for missile parts and technology. =
Pakistan is developing several types of missiles on its own.=20
=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0North Korea's No Dong missile is an improved =
version of the Soviet-made Scud, with an extended range and increased relia=
bility. =20
=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0U.S. officials said what aggravated the situa=
tion in the No Dong transfer was the use of American-made planes for North =
Korean proliferation purposes.=20
=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0The C-130 aircraft belong to the Pakistani go=
vernment, which means that the Pakistani air force signed off on the operat=
ion, the officials said.=20
=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0The No Dong purchase is expected to increase =
already high tensions with India because the missiles provide a delivery sy=
stem for Pakistan's nuclear weapons.=20
=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0On Wednesday, India and Pakistan conducted ti=
t-for-tat missile tests, prompting a joint condemnation from the United Sta=
tes and Britain.=20
=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0The missile supplier, North Korean arms firm =
Changgwang Sinyong, has been sanctioned by Washington before.=20
=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0In August, it was punished for a missile tran=
sfer to Yemen; in June 2001, for selling chemical-weapons materials and mis=
sile engines to Iran; and in April 2000, for missile-technology sales to Sy=
ria.=20
=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0In December, two Spanish warships seized a No=
rth Korean Scud missile shipment destined for Yemen on behalf of the United=
 States.=20
=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0But Washington allowed the delivery to pass a=
fter the Yemeni government promised the missiles were only for defense and =
that it would not purchase arms from Pyongyang again.=20
=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0Although the Bush administration was forced t=
o acknowledge that the transfer, which Yemen said was the last in a series =
contracted several years earlier, violated no international laws or regulat=
ions, it said something must be done to prevent weapons proliferation by No=
rth Korea.=20
=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0The administration has accused the North of p=
arading its missiles in "glossy brochures" around the world and selling the=
m to anyone who will pay.=20
=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0Washington and Pyongyang have been locked in =
yet another nuclear standoff since October, when the North admitted to havi=
ng developed a secret uranium-enrichment program while at the same time rec=
eiving free fuel oil from the United States for having agreed in 1994 to ab=
andon all attempts to make nuclear weapons.=20
=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0The Bush administration refuses to engage in =
bilateral talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-il's regime and is trying=
 to put together a forum with the participation of other regional powers. I=
t insists the problem of North Korea's nuclear ambitions is international a=
nd not one between the United States and North Korea alone.

-----------------------------------------------------------
This article was mailed from The Washington Times (http://www.washtimes.com=
/world/20030331-55366.htm)
For more great articles, visit us at http://www.washtimes.com

Copyright (c) 2002 News World Communications, Inc. All rights reserved.