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CUBA SAID TODAY that weapons found on a North Korean ship close to the Panama Canal were “obsolete” Soviet-era arms, which the communist island had sent to Pyongyang for repair.
The declaration came a day after Panama said it had found military equipment, which it believed to be missiles, after impounding the ship and conducting a drugs search.
Panama earlier Tuesday urged UN inspectors to scrutinise the cargo, which could constitute a violation of the strict arms sanctions imposed on North Korea over its nuclear program.
However Cuba, one of North Korea’s few allies, claimed the shipment as its own, with the foreign ministry listing 240 metric tons of “obsolete defensive weapons,” including two anti-aircraft missile systems as being on board.
There were also “nine missiles in parts and spares” various Mig-21 aircraft parts and 15 plane motors, “all of it manufactured in the mid-20th century” and “to be repaired and returned to Cuba.”
“The agreements subscribed by Cuba in this field are supported by the need to maintain our defensive capacity in order to preserve national sovereignty,” the ministry said in an English-language statement.
Panama President Ricardo Martinelli tweeted a photo of the haul, which experts earlier Tuesday identified as an ageing Soviet-built radar control system for surface-to-air missiles.
Martinelli’s government said the munitions were hidden in a shipment of 220,000 pounds (100,000 kilograms) of bagged sugar aboard the North Korean-flagged Chong Chon Gang.
Panama’s Security Minister Jose Raul Mulino told RPC radio that the affair now is a matter for UN investigators.
US reaction
The United States hailed the discovery.
“We stand ready to cooperate with Panama should they request our assistance,” State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell said, reiterating that any shipments or “arms or related material” would violate several Security Council resolutions.
A security man walks on the deck of the North Korean ship in Panama yesterday (AP Photo/Arnulfo Franco)
The magazine IHS Jane’s Defence Weekly said Tuesday that the photo tweeted by Martinelli appeared to show an “RSN-75 ‘Fan Song’ fire-control radar system.”
The weapons were developed in 1957 and frequently used during the Vietnam War.
Suicide attempt
Panamanian officials said Monday that the crew resisted the search last Friday, and that the ship’s captain attempted to take his own life after the vessel was stopped.
It was sailing from Cuba towards the canal with a crew of about three dozen and was stopped by drug enforcement officials and taken into port in Manzanillo.
A Panama government spokesman said an examination of the ship by weapons specialists may take as long as a week.
A crew members sleeps on a mattress aboard the North Korean ship. (AP Photo/Arnulfo Franco)
“The world needs to sit up and take note: you cannot go around shipping undeclared weapons of war through the Panama Canal,” Martinelli told Radio Panama listeners on Monday.
The vessel was being held in a restricted zone, and the crew had been detained, officials said. So far, no drugs have been found on board.
North Korea
North Korea’s army chief of staff General Kyok Sik Kim visited Cuba last month and said the two countries were “in the same trench.”
North Korea carried out a third nuclear weapons test in February, triggering tighter UN sanctions.
Experts say it is unclear whether the North has the technology to build a nuclear warhead for a missile.
UN sanctions bar the transport of all weapons to and from North Korea apart from the import of small arms. Several of the country’s ships have been searched in recent years.
In July 2009, a North Korean ship heading to Myanmar, the Kang Nam 1, was followed by the US Navy due to suspicions it was carrying weapons. It turned around and headed back home.
Pyongyang has yet to comment on the latest incident.
Five percent of the world’s commerce travels through the century-old Panama Canal, and that is expected to increase following the completion of a major expansion project.
It is hypocritical in the extreme that the US would speak of Security Council/UN resolutions being broken when it’s closet ally in the Middle East, breaks them or outright ignores them on a daily basis.
Also, lest the world forget, the US contributed to North Korea becoming a nuclear state when it turned a blind eye to Pakistani nuclear scientists assisting the North Koreans with nuclear knowledge and equipment claiming officially no such transfer was occurring when in reality it knew what was occurring but did not want to jeopardise relations with Pakistan.
Seoirse, are you sure your not b Lowe because you sound exactly like him. Go ahead and defend North Korea. You make a stupid argument!
They broke international shipping laws and got caught. Get over it.
”Go ahead and defend North Korea.”
He is not necessarily defending N Korea – just stating facts . If facts are too much for u – !!
Jim, saoirse, is stating this as fact. How does he know what went on?
B Lowe talking through his …. again. If is ant-British or anti-US Lowe will be there.
I think b Lowe has a new identity
Correction Pauric, even if its an unrelated topic, if an anti-UK or anti-US slant can somehow be put on it, no matter how tenuous, BLowe will be there…
”, if an anti-UK or anti-US slant can somehow be put on it, no matter how tenuous, BLowe will be there…”
the problem is that with the way the US /UK and many countries in the West behave – it is easy to knock their many illegal actions . Not too many countries have a President who openly boasts of his Murder List .
The west – and US in particular seem to be going out of their way to create enemies – maybe they do that on purpose -to keep the Arms trade going and the money.
Jim, really? Would you like to comment on the illegal activities of North Korea. I believe it has its own arms trade. Also money laundering.
Check it all out and get back to us.
How about the arms trading done by Sweden, France, Austria, Russia amongst others.
But for you and your ilk it’s always the same ole anti- US RANT’
@Jim
Yes, but this article is about an illegal ams shipment from Cuba to North Korea, and the Panamanian response after uncovering it!
Its a bit like the people who twist almost every article on TJ to make a comment about our bankers and politicians!
Its wrong for Cuba to export arms – to N Korea – but ok for US ,UK and France to export to wherever they wish eg Saudi Arabia , Syria ,Iran Israel etc – .
BBC this morning reported that UK govt had issued 3,000 licenses [ value £ 12 Billion ] for arms export to several countries eg China , Iran, Saudi Arabia , Israel- – but that all legal and ok -
——— total hypocrisy once again – but will make good headlines on Fox and keep US population in more fear – a difficult feat .
The difference is that the US ,UK France etc are not hiding their sales in shiploads of Sugar. They are following international trade rules.
”They are following international trade rules.”
— which they write themselves !!
…typical, 2 dodgy dictatorships got caught dealing in spare parts for nuclear weapons but people can’t resist the opportunity to ‘America bash’
Cuba is one cheeky little k^^t
What is a k^^t?
Same as a C^^T
Knight. Cuba is a cheeky little knight.
Sure those were just props for parades
Obvious dry run
The North Koreans seized a small US navy ship years ago, they refused to give it back and now take what few tourists they get on tours of it, rubbing the US noses in the fact they kept the vessel. This cargo ship should be kept also, not necessarily because of the US ship being kept but to show NK that any ship found to be smuggling prohibited weapons “regardless of which country owns the vessel” or components will be seized. lets see how they will get contracts for shipping illegal weapons then. its the right thing to do, this dictatorship is starving its own people while buying illegal weapons to threaten the rest of the world. something needs to be done to stop it, no more words, action is needed.
Equipment was not listed on the manifest and was hidden under tons of sugar and sure tis old anyway me arse …… Cuba should not send to that madcap country god only knows what they will do with it . Seize the ship and sell it to pay for the upgrading work in Panama and warn Cuba and North Korea that in future if they try this the ship will be seized and they will lose the cargo . Do it legitimate like everyone else . As regards the crew 10 years in bars minimum , they knew what they were carting by their carry on and 20 for the captain . This will send the right message .
Wow! We are in the ha’penny place…
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