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Confirmed: North Korea Primary Supplier of Missiles to Iran/Hezbollah

From LA Times:

snip.

"Israeli intelligence believes North Korea recently sold 18 intermediate-range missiles to Tehran. Some accounts also place Iranian observers in North Korea when the Pyongyang regime test-fired seven missiles over the Sea of Japan this month.

"The Iranians are looking to North Korea for their new designs," said Uzi Rubin, a former head of the Israeli missile defense program. "Of course, we are worried. Whatever North Korea makes eventually ends up in the Middle East."

Rubin says Iran is particularly interested in North Korea's multistage missile, the Taepodong, because it can be used to launch a satellite. The missile was one of the seven test-fired recently, but it failed after 42 seconds, splashing into the sea not far from the test site.

Another missile that Rubin believes might have been among those tested was an intermediate-range missile based on an old Soviet design for a submarine-launched nuclear missile. These newly manufactured missiles are estimated to have a range of 1,550 miles, which would enable them to reach Israel and much of southern Europe from Iran.

Israeli intelligence chief Amos Yadlin said in April that Israel had evidence that the North Koreans had shipped 18 of these missiles — known alternately as the SS-N-6 or the BM-25 — to an Iranian missile base at the port city of Bandar Abbas.

"What the Iranians bought was a missile in a box. It is an unproven missile," said Israeli defense analyst Alon Ben-David, who said there was great curiosity about whether the new missile was among those tested..."

end snip...

Unproven, except for the fact that they were the same missiles used by the Soviet Navy, known for simple, straightforward designs that accomplished their goals without the use of sophisticated support systems.

I think its appropriate at this time to note that Iran is interested in creating its own nuclear weapons, and that North Korea already has this capability.

axis of evil....axis of evil...axis of evil...

Posted @ August 06, 2006 12:58 PM | Current Affairs

Comments

Yes, the aptness of the coupling of these nations by that phrase is becoming more and more obvious.

I wonder if there is any significance in the number of missiles sold. Could it be an indication of the number of nuclear warheads the iranians are planning on having in the near future, or is this batch simply needed for R&D purposes related to warhead design?

Posted by: rc at August 7, 2006 01:03 AM

Here's some interesting commentary and predictions vis a vis Syria. That fit in with what's been said here.

http://powerandcontrol.blogspot.com/2006/08/syria-has-problem.html

Posted by: Tim P at August 8, 2006 06:21 AM

"Untested" vs. "Reliable Soviet Technology"

These missiles, built by countries not well known for manufacturing prowess, are just as dangerous to the crew firing them as they are to those "downrange..."

Posted by: jtb at August 9, 2006 12:11 PM

Look, there is also evidence that North Korea trained Hizbullah in guerrila tactics. Everything they dealt out to the Israelis in this last war, they learned from North Korea. Their leaders learned all about organizing themselves from the North Koreans over the past 15 years. Hassan Nasrallah and Hizbullah's counter-espionage chief, Mustafa Badreddin both spent some time in Pyongyang in the early '90's on Tehran's dime.

Posted by: Janie at September 27, 2006 06:24 AM