May 28, 2004 :: Kyodo :: News
On May 22, North Korea’s Kim Jong Il pledged to Japan that the communist country would maintain a moratorium on its ballistic missile tests, but a report by the Japanese Kyodo news service calls such a pledge into question, quoting a U.S. administration official saying that Iran is supplying test data from missile tests within its borders to North Korea, perhaps in exchange for nuclear technology. The unnamed official is quoted as saying that, “We’ve been concerned that maybe the Iranians are sharing data about their test with North Korea, perhaps in exchange for nuclear technology,” adding that a moratorium “isn’t very significant” if North Korea is getting Iranian missile test data. North Korea could be using data from Iranian tests to advance its own long range missile programs.
The fact that North Korea recently reported it would offer for sale its longest range missile, the Taepo-Dong II, and that Iran is a likely client, could also well indicate collusion to circumvent testing on the Korean peninsula. North Korea could sell The Taepo-Dong II to Iran and use the location as a vicarious testing ground, all the while being able to claim a moratorium of its own.
The Wall Street Journal reports on May 28 that Iran sent a response to the Kyodo news service denying that they were sharing test data. (Article)
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» May 22, 2004: Kim: North Korea will maintain missile moratorium:
» More stories on: Iran, North Korea, Testing - Foreign
