I am in between meetings right now, but thought I take the
time to touch on a topic which started to unfold on Monday in Panama. Authorities
in Panama seized the North Korean ship Chong Chon Gang was on its way back to
North Korea from Cuba and had to cross the Panama Canal. The cargo was supposed
to be 10,000 tons of sugar, but Panamanian authorities inspected the vessel on suspicions
it carried illegal drugs.
Panamanian authorities were wrong as the Chong Chon Gang did
not carry illegal drugs and indeed carried 10,000 tons of sugar. Between the
sugar the North Korean ship also carried the following:
- Anti-aircraft missile systems
- Missile parts
- 2 MiG-21 Fighter Jets
- Fire-control radar
The list is not complete as Panamanian authorities need to
check the rest of the cargo and deployed 350 workers in order to help unload
the ship while it also invited UN inspectors to open the cargo. The Cuban
Foreign Ministry claimed that the weapons were defensive weapons and shipped
off for repair before being returned back to Cuba.
UN Security Council Resolution 1718, unanimously approved by
all members, bans the direct sale of combat aircraft as well as missile systems
to North Korea as well as any indirect assistance in order for North Korea to obtain
those weapons. The captain of the Chong Chon Gang apparently attempted to commit
suicide while the remaining detained 35 crew members remain hostile to
authorities in Panama.
The U.S., short on power on all fronts, praises Panama for
its behavior and feels it scored an indirect victory. Panama should thread
carefully as the time is coming to make a decision on which country to be
supportive off, its direct neighbors or a far away distant ally. While everyone
congratulates each other on this development, the question out there remains about
how many such shipments successfully arrived in North Korea and what the cargo
there was.
I am a bit concerned about developments in the region which
for now seem to be moderately contained. This will sour relations between two
countries which do not deal with each other, but North Korea’s big ally may
indirectly support its much smaller neighbor. North Korea poses a threat no
doubt and it seems to be only a matter of time until the keg explodes and we
are dealing with a serious global security issue.
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