FoxNews publishes Security Council report on North Korea

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Security Council Gets North Korea Nuke Report

Published November 10, 2010

| Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS -- A report by U.N. experts saying North Korea is exporting banned nuclear and missile technology to Iran, Syria and Myanmar has been sent to the Security Council after China dropped its objections, U.N. diplomats said Wednesday.

Click here for a PDF of the report, obtained exclusively by Fox News.

The findings by the seven-member panel monitoring the implementation of sanctions against North Korea were first reported by The Associated Press in May.

The panel's report was submitted to the Security Council committee monitoring sanctions against Pyongyang in early May but China, a close ally of North Korea, blocked its transmission to the full 15-member council, diplomats said, speaking on condition of anonymity because consultations have been private.

The experts said North Korea is exporting nuclear and ballistic missile technology and using multiple intermediaries, shell companies and overseas criminal networks to circumvent U.N. sanctions. It called for further study of these suspected activities and urged all countries to try to prevent them.

The 47-page report and a 23-page annex document sanctions violations reported by U.N. member states, including four cases involving arms exports and two seizures of luxury goods by Italy -- two yachts and high-end recording and video equipment. The report also details the broad range of techniques that North Korea is using to try to evade sanctions imposed by the U.N. Security Council after its two nucleartests in 2006 and 2009.

U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a Florida Republican, said in a statement Wednesday that the report "should be a wake-up call for the U.S. and other responsible nations."

"Instead of continuing its failed strategy of seeking to engage the regime in endless negotiation, the administration must ratchet up pressure on Pyongyang," she said.

Ros-Lehtinen called for "new and effective" sanctions, and forNorth Korea to be put back on the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism.

With UN's Treki Reportedly Under Swiss Travel Ban, He Cites Vienna Convention, Meets Gabon's Bongo, Heads to S. Korea

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, March 10 -- The President of the UN General Assembly Ali Treki has "reminded" Switzerland of its duty to respect the Vienna Convention on diplomatic immunity and the right to travel, three weeks after Inner City Press exclusively reported and then asked about Treki being on a Swiss and thus EU / Schengen group travel ban list.

In a cryptic statement issued Tuesday night, Treki's spokesman Jean Victor Nkolo said

"Answering a ['lingering'] question regarding relations between Libya and Switzerland, the Spokesperson of the Presidency of the United Nations General Assembly, indicated that the President of the General Assembly is following the deterioration in the relationship between the two countries. He emphasized that the President of the General Assembly stresses the need to resolve this dispute in a manner that upholds the principles of international law and respects the international agreements, in particular the Vienna Convention on diplomatic immunities and privileges, and the right of all individuals for free movement in accordance United Nations norms and standards."

Inner City Press asked Nkolo is this was belated confirmation that the PGA's office knows, as Inner City Press was told and as Italy implicit confirmed, that Treki is on Switzerland's Schengen travel ban notice. The usually effusive Nkolo said that "the statement speaks for itself."

Inner City Press was told by a well placed source that due to concerns about the list, the PGAs office asked Switzerland if Treki was still free to travel to Geneva, and got an affirmative answer. But the rest of the Schengen group? Why is Italy mentioning Treki when it asks for Switzerland to modify the list it sent out?

The irony here is that Switzerland's ire is directed at Gaddafi for its imprisonment of two Swiss businessmen in retaliation Switzerland acting on physical abuse by Gaddafi's son in Switzerland. But Treki is not getting along with Libya's mission to the UN. Because he was formerly Libya's foreign minister, he was put on the list. Treki is in a very delicate position, especially given that his PGA mandate expires in September. Paraphrasing Tom -- and not Alejandro -- Wolfe, can you go home again?

Libya's Ali Treki, Swiss Schengen list not shown

Meanwhile, with Treki slated to travel to Seoul, the story is that he will be speaking about the G-20 and South Korea's upcoming chairmanship and meeting. South Korea, of course, is not part of the Schengen group...

Footnotes: later on March 9, the PGA's office issued a press statement about Treki's meeting with the son of Gabon's long time dictator Omar Bongo, Ali Bongo, now president. Earlier on March 9, the International Peace Institute barred from Ali Bongo's presentation journalists and others who had RSVP-ed. Much demand for the dictator!

On Treki and his Office, Close UN watchers still wonder why the PGA's Office has allowed long time UN Security officer Ralph Hering to be the scapegoat for Treki's daughter's invitation of the KFC Colonel Sander impersonator to the UN's second floor. There are other PGA injustice issues still pending. Watch this site.

How N.Korea Goes About Exporting Arms

Curbing North Korea's illicit arms trade is difficult since the renegade country launders containers carrying weapons three or four times, a defector who was in charge of illicit arms deals told the Chosun Ilbo on Monday.

The defector revealed that a factory in Jagang Province, which is believed to produce tractors, is the center of the communist country's weapons production, including chemical warheads. The defector, who is under police protection, did not want his identity to be revealed fearing reprisal attacks against family members still in the North.

◆ Foreign Forwarders Transport Weapons

Five departments of the North Korean government are involved in arms exports: the military arms production wing of the Workers' Party, the Second Academy of Natural Sciences, the Surveillance Division of the People's Armed Forces, Operational Department of the Workers' Party and the Second Economic Committee. He said the Economic Committee, which is directly under the control of the powerful National Defense Commission, is the biggest.

The military arms production wing procures materials for the Yongbyon nuclear plant and North Korea's nuclear weapons program. "The General Bureau of Atomic Energy only produces yellow cake [the seed material for higher-grade nuclear enrichment], while the arms production wing is in charge of the Yongbyon facility," the defector said. The Second Academy of Natural Sciences exports missiles and also provides after-sales service for exported products by upgrading performance and exchanging components.

"The main client is the research center of Iran's Revolutionary Guard, while experiments are conducted in unison," he said. Iran successfully test-fired a rocket on Feb. 3 which is believed to have been powered by the same engine as North Korean Rodong missiles.

But international sanctions against North Korea make it difficult to export weapons by conventional means. "This is where the Surveillance Division of the People's Armed Forces comes in," the defector said. Its "traders," who studied at Pyongyang University of Foreign Studies, are fluent in English and Chinese and sign deals with "forwarders" from other countries. Through this process, North Korea sends containers across the Apnok (or Yalu) River to China one third or half filled with weapons. "The forwarder who received this cargo enters a port in a third country, where the containers are filled with freight unrelated to weapons and the paperwork is completed," he said.

These "laundered" containers are laundered again in Hong Kong, Singapore or other ports. "The containers are mixed with other cargo in those transit points. They are searched, but not thoroughly," the defector added. "Even if customs or other officials roll their sleeves up and search for weapons, how can they possibly find the arms among the mountains of other containers headed to other countries?"

In this undated photo released by the North's officials Korean Central News Agency on Dec. 9, 2009, North Korean leader Kim Jong-il inspects the Kanggye General Tractor Plant No. 26 in Jagang Province.

◆ 'Tractor Factory' Is Weapons Production Base

North Korea's main weapons production base is Kanggye General Tractor Plant No. 26. Before the Korean War, the plant was based in Pyongyang and made Soviet-designed PPSh 41 submachine guns but has since been relocated. Over 10,000 workers there manufacture ammunition and even chemical weapons. The People's Armed Forces is in charge of chemical weapons production. "The Bio-chemical research center affiliated with the military is located next to the Kanggye plant," the defector said. "The toxic gases produced at the research center are loaded onto warheads manufactured at the plant."

North Korean leader Kim Jong-il makes a point of visiting the factory two to three times a year. He last paid a visit on Dec. 9, 2009.

◆ AK-47 Rifles and Ammunition Are Top Sellers

"Small arms ammunition are hot export items and the Second Economic Committee even built a factory in Ethiopia," the defector said. The rugged AK-47s, which can operate flawlessly even in the sand-filled battlefields of the Middle East, are extremely popular, he said.

Anti-tank missiles are more complicated to manufacture, so the blueprints are in Russia, while North Korean factories are merely subcontractors. North Korean arms are believed to be exported to Bangladesh, Indonesia, Pakistan and the Philippines. "North Korean weapons with engines [such as tanks] are extremely poor quality, but those carrying warheads are not bad," the defector said. Around 20 percent of the parts used to make export versions of missiles are imported. But missiles for domestic use are made using mostly North Korean-made parts, so there is a difference in performance. "North Korea tried to import Harpoon anti-ship missiles from Taiwan," he added. "This probably has something to do with the South Korean Navy's use of the Harpoon missiles."

N. Korean ambassador to Geneva expected to leave office: source

GENEVA, March 10 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's ambassador to Geneva, known as a caretaker of leader Kim Jong-il's secret funds, is expected to leave office after 30 years in Switzerland, a diplomatic source said Wednesday.

Ambassador Ri Chol has been considered one of Kim's closest aides, trustworthy enough for the reclusive leader to send all of his three known sons to Swiss schools. Ri was also reported to have played a key role in helping top North Korean officials get medical treatment from French doctors.

"It appears almost certain that Ambassador Ri is leaving," a diplomatic source in Bern said on condition of anonymity. without elaborating where he obtained the information. "But the timing is unclear whether it will be in weeks or take a couple of more months."

Talk of Ri's departure is widespread in the diplomatic community in Switzerland, the source said.

"I think that the high attention he's drawing here is because Ambassador Ri has stayed in Switzerland for so long and because he drew media attention from time to time with reports that he's taking care of Chairman Kim Jong-il's slush funds," the source said, referring to the North Korean leader's official title, chairman of the country's powerful National Defense Commission.

Ri, 75, has been working in Switzerland since 1980 when he was appointed minister at North Korea's mission to Geneva before rising to ambassador in 1987. Since 1998, he has doubled as the North's ambassador to Switzerland.

It is unclear why Ri will be replaced. Some say it is because of his advanced age and others say the move might be related to leader Kim's attempt to hand power over to one of his sons.

It is not yet known yet who will succeed Kim, but the intelligence community believes the youngest of the three sons, Jong-un, is being groomed to take over.

North Korea Establishes Medium-Range Missile Group, Report Claims

North Korea has established a new army detachment that oversees the country's recently developed arsenal of medium-range missiles that can travel more than 1,860 miles, the Associated Press reported today (see GSN, Oct. 29, 2009).

Relying on an anonymous South Korean government source, the Yonhap News Agency reported that Pyongyang's People's Army created the division to manage the fielding of missiles that could be used to strike U.S. military installations in locations including Guam and Japan.

The missiles could be intended to keep the United States from moving Pacific-based troops to the Korean Peninsula should conflict break out with the North, said Seoul-based analyst Baek Seung-joo. The U.S. Defense Department already has nearly 30,000 personnel in South Korea.

No information was provided as to the number of missiles in the new division or where they are deployed.

The South Korean Defense Ministry today said it could not affirm the Yonhap report. A 2009 report from the agency indicated that North Korea was fielding a new kind of intermediate-range missile that was thought to have been publicly exhibited at a 2007 military parade.

Should the report prove accurate, it would indicate that the aspiring nuclear state had been able to create additional intermediate-range missiles over the last three years and now required a larger unit to oversee those weapons, South Korean analyst Ohm Tae-am said.

Last spring, North Korea carried out a rocket launch that the international community said contravened a U.N. Security Council resolution that bars the nation from carrying out any ballistic missile-related work. The North responded to the criticism by leaving nuclear disarmament negotiations and conducting its second nuclear test (Hyung-Jin Kim, Associated Press/Washington Post, March 9).

Kim Jong Il Makes Rare Television Appearance (VIDEO)

North Korea has broadcast a rare video of leader Kim Jong-il attending a massive rally marking the reopening of a textile factory on Saturday.

Kim, who is suspected of having had a stroke in 2008, is rarely shown in videos. In the video he is shown waving to a huge crowd. He does not appear to have spoken at the rally.

North Korea "is sure to win a final victory in the drive for building a thriving nation as long as there are the ever-victorious Songun (military-first) leadership of Kim Jong-il and the large contingent of heroic workers like those in the vinalon industry," Thae Jong-su, a senior Workers' Party official, told the rally, according to the official Korean Central News Agency.

The factory, which had apparently shut due to hard times in the 1990s , had recently reopened. South Korean media reported that Kim's appearance seemed to occur in the hope of soothing public fears about the North Korean economy.

WATCH:

New Iran rocket launch site shows N. Korea links: Jane's

LONDON — Iran is building a new rocket launch site a short distance from an existing complex and seems to be working with North Korea, information group IHS Jane's said Friday.

Construction visible from satellite imagery of the new site, near the city of Semnan east of Tehran, suggests that Iran has been collaborating with Pyongyang, said the London-based defence intelligence group.

Iran unveiled the Simorgh (Phoenix) space-launch vehicle (SLV) on February 3 but has not publicly revealed the location of the rocket's launch complex, it reported.

But Jane's said it had observed a new launch pad four kilometres (6.5 miles) northeast of the existing Semnan site on a satellite image dated February 6.

The site could ultimately launch Tehran's next-generation Simorgh rocket, it said.

Jane's said that using satellite photographs taken on February 11, as Iran celebrated the Islamic revolution's 31st birthday, it had identified the Simorgh and Safir-2 rockets displayed in Tehran's Azadi Square.

The site includes a gantry tower which is 13 metres (43 feet) wide, approximately 18-20 metres tall "and has a cliff-side flame bucket nearly as high as the tower itself."

"It appears midway towards completion," it said, adding that the launch pad could easily accommodate the 27-metre Simorgh if the gantry were to be extended by an additional 10 metres.

And it added: "The development of the Semnan facility and the Simorgh SLV both demonstrate the likelihood of collaboration with North Korea in Iran's missile programme.

"The platforms seen on the new gantry tower resemble those seen on the gantry tower at North Korea's new launch pad at Tongchang. A drainage pit 170 metres directly in front of the pad also mirrors one at Pyongyang's new west-coast launch site.

"Similarly, the first stage of the Simorgh strongly resembles the North Korean Unha-2, with four clustered engines and nearly the same dimensions."

The respected information group concluded that Iran appears to be forging ahead with developing its missile and rocket capabilities despite US-led diplomatic pressure, including threats of new United Nations sanctions.

"Given these investments in its missile infrastructure, and despite the United States attempting to garner support for further sanctions against Iran for its nuclear programme, Tehran appears determined to continue developing its missile and rocket capabilities in the foreseeable future," it said.

The West suspects Iran of secretly trying to build an atomic bomb and fears the technology used to launch space rockets could be diverted into developing long-range ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads.

Tehran denies having military goals for its space programme or its nuclear drive.

History of DPRK Saga

1) January 2007: - United States accused UNDP of irregularities in its Programme in DPRK;

• a) UNDP: rebuff and denies all wrong doings;
• b) UNDP: promises a swift and fast investigation within 90 days (end of March 07);
• c) UN-SG: appoints ACABQ (Internal Board of Auditors) to investigate allegations;
• d) UNDP: says "its ResRep in DPRK is on its way to NY with all boxes of files" (Which very stragely never make it to NY until 12 months later - December 2007)
• e) US Secreet Service and NY Southern District Attorney: initiate an investigation on Counterfeit;
• f) UNDP: opposes to lifting of UN immunities for its DPRK staffers and do not participate and boycot investigation on (Immunity grounds);

2) May 2007: - 150 days after the UN-SG promises for a swift investigation, ACABQ deliberates its findings:

• a) Presence of Counterfeit;
• b) Presence of Hard Currency Payments in CASH;
• c) Presence of irregular HR practices in retaining services of DPRK staffers;
• d) Lack of cooperation from UNDP in providing proper access to files in HQs;
• e) Lack of cooperation from UNDP in providing access to any/all DPRK files;

3) June 2007: UNDP Staff Union presents the case of retaliation of UNDP towards its former OM in DPRK to the UN’s Ethics Office:

• a) 05 June 07: Ethics Officer accepts the case and initiates investigation;
  
• b) June 07: UNDP and UN Spokespersons call for media to be patient and allow UN Ethics Officer to finish his investigation;
  
• c) Aug 07: 80 days later - Ethics Officer deliberates that it found prima face evidence of retaliation from UNDP towards its OM in DPRK, and because of lack of cooperation from UNDP and access to UNDP files requests that he be allowed "for the sake of UN" to finish his investigation;
  
• d) Aug 07: UNDP rejects the findings and opt out of UN system of justice, and despite having no Ethics Office structure nor any whistleblower protection and regulation inside its own institution decides to appoint its own “external investigative body” to investigate what happened;
  
• e) Sep 07: UNDP appoints its own panel of investigation and promises a swift investigation of only 3 months. In his speech in front of cameras Kemal Dervis said: “this Panel will finalize its work by end of December 2007 and you all will see that they will find that the Whistleblower cannot be reinstated for reasons that this panel will be able to establish”.
  
• f) 30 May 07: 270 days (9 months) later UNDP’s own Panel of Investigation confirms findings of allegations on UNDP operations in DPRK, but also allows UNDP to use its report as defamation, character assassination and further retaliation platform against the Whistleblower, for what "...dared to do to UNDP".

As of today 1st of June 2008, 26 months later, UNDP has failed to name or held any one accountable for miss-managing its offices which resulted in a shut down of North Korea presence on grounds of improper operations modalities. IMPUNITYYYYYYY CONTINUE!!!!!!!

Would all the above have ever happen if this Whistleblower have decided not to talk and not rock-the-boat?

Will UNDP prevail ? Let's see what our bosses will decide in New York, but seems that this is a saga far from over. Our contacts in New York will be sending us more on what is happening out there. Please continue to watch this site for more...