Welcome to DouglasDeBono.Com, the Cyberspace Home of author Douglas De Bono

Welcome to DouglasDeBono.Com, the Cyberspace Home of
author Douglas De Bono.

Drug Pushers and Bomb Makers

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I doubt most of us have heard of the North Korean Advisory Group or that they produced a report at the behest of the House Speaker. North Korea is a headline making rogue nation intent on producing ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons. They represent a clear and present danger to the national security of the United States. During the Battle for Iraq (March/April 2003), the United States tasked two Nimitz Class Carrier Battle Groups and 24 heavy bombers to deter any mischief along the Korean Peninsula.

It is painfully obvious that the 1994 Agreed Framework designed to enhance security and end nuclear weapon development is a dismal failure. In any list of flash points that may involve American military forces, North Korea comes ahead of Syria, Libya and Iran.

The conclusions are rather striking when you consider that the NKAG reports was published on October 29, 1999—five years after the 1994 Agreed Framework and 13 months before the 2000 presidential election fiasco. These findings are clearly on Bill Clinton’s watch.

1. North Korea has at least enough plutonium for one to two nuclear weapons. There is little reason to believe that North Korea has not or could not make a nuclear explosive device capable of producing a significant nuclear yield. North Korea's ongoing nuclear program activity raises the possibility that it could produce additional nuclear weapons.
2. Since 1994, North Korea has sought external assistance for its nuclear program. It has sold missiles and missile production equipment to Pakistan, as well as engaged in extensive contacts with Russia's nuclear establishment, and attempted to acquire nuclear and dual-use equipment from Europe and Japan.
3. North Korea possesses biological weapons production and dispensing technology, including the capability to deploy chemical or biological weapons on missiles.
4. According to the 1999 ballistic missile National Intelligence Estimate (NIE), "the proliferation of medium-range ballistic missiles - driven primarily by North Korean No Dong [Editor’s Note: Theater missile – range: 800 miles, payload: 2600 pounds] sales - has created an immediate, serious and growing threat to U.S. forces, interests, and allies, and has significantly altered the strategic balances in the Middle East and Africa." North Korean No Dong transfers have all occurred within the last five years.
5. North Korea has become a major drug producing and trafficking nation, using diplomatic channels to market heroin, opium, and methamphetamine.

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There are additional key findings in the NKAG report. It is obvious that the North Korea was violating the 1994 Agreed Framework in the fall of 1999. Incredibly, the Clinton Administration either ignored classified and unclassified sources or decided to leave it for the next administration or they did not know what to do.

The primary customers of North Korean ballistic missile technology are Syria, Libya, Iran and Pakistan. Ancillary evidence suggests that Syria acted as a conduit for WMD (weapon of mass destruction) and missile technology to Saddam Hussein’s Iraq during the same time period.

Findings 1, 2 and 3; North Korea has continued to develop WMD technologies. The agreements signed have little to no meaning for Kim Jong Il. Once again a democratic administration has signed an agreement without verification or consequences for treaty violations. If this sounds familiar, then you are remembering the flawed SALT II treaty signed by President Jimmy Carter. The 1994 Agreed Framework was the combined work of Presidents Carter and Clinton. One of the consequences of the Agreed Framework is that the United States supplies enough food to feed more than 30% of the North Korean population. This has freed resources to pursue missile and WMD technologies.

Finding 4 places most of the world at risk to ballistic missile attack based on North Korean technology. Map 1 shows the threat area for missiles launched from North Korea. Map 2 shows the threat area for missile launch from Iran. This area is similar for the same weapons if they were based in Syria, Libya or Pakistan. The proliferation of this technology places all of Europe, Russia, China, the Pacific Rim, Australia, and most of North America at risk.

Finding 5 is the most ominous. Several intelligence sources have suggested that Pakistan traded nuclear technology for North Korean missiles. Furthermore, North Korea is not known to have the climate and terrain suitable for large poppy production, but Pakistan borders the world leader in poppy production—Afghanistan. Raw opium refined into heroin and sold on the black market appears to be another way that North Korea obtained hard currencies to continue purchasing dual use technologies.

This is the speculative part:

1. North Korea does nothing without Beijing’s tacit approval.
2. China benefits from the proliferation of missile and WMD technology to Pakistan, which increases tensions between India and Pakistan. These countries almost started lobbing nukes at each other in 2002.
3. How does Afghan opium get to North Korea? Perhaps, by ship via Pakistani ports, or maybe the transaction happens overland via China.
4. China has supplied al Qaeda and Taliban forces with munitions, post September 11, 2001. It is in China’s interest to create turmoil for American interests. China has covertly supported American enemies in Afghanistan and Iraq.
5. According to the NKAG report, there are 34 incidents where North Korea used state sponsored or diplomatic means to facilitate the sale of heroin around the world. The only purpose would be to generate hard currency for weapon development.

Conclusions:

1. There may not be a diplomatic solution to the North Korean problem. Containment is not working.
2. The Clinton Administration seriously failed to address the problem and in many ways accelerated North Korean programs.
3. North Korea will sell anything to anyone who has cold hard cash. The implication is that al Qaeda (or an al Qaeda like group) can acquire WMD as easily as the rest of us can order a book from Amazon.
4. If military force becomes the option, we might face a scenario where conventional force is inadequate to deal with the problem.

**MAPS COURTESY: North Korean Advisory Group Report.