N Korea sought German nuke gear
GERMANY: North Korea secretly tried to obtain the technology for its nuclear weapons programme via its embassy in Berlin, according to disclosures from German intelligence.
The embassy repeatedly attempted to buy equipment that could be used for ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons, said HansGeorg Maassen, head of Germany’s secret service.
‘‘We discovered procurement activities taking place there, which we believe were focused on the missile programme, and also to some extent on the nuclear programme.’’
The head of the Bundesamt furVerfassungsschutz, or Office for the Protection of the Constitution, added: ‘‘When we detect something of this sort, we take steps to prevent it, but we can’t guarantee that we are able to detect and prevent every case.’’
He made the disclosures in an interview for German television. Maassen described how the North Korean embassy had purchased ‘‘dual use’’ technology that could be deployed for civilian or military purposes.
He did not specify what material the embassy was attempting to purchase for its nuclear or missile programmes. But in a separate incident in 2014 a North Korean diplomat is believed to have tried to obtain a multi-gas monitor that could be used to develop chemical weapons.
Along with Britain, Germany is one of a handful of European countries to maintain some diplomatic ties with North Korea. But Germany withdrew several diplomats from its embassy in Pyongyang in the wake of last year’s missile tests, and has demanded North Korea reduce its diplomatic staff in Berlin.
The German foreign ministry last year denied reports it was coming under United States pressure to close its embassy and cut diplomatic ties altogether. A spokesman added: ‘‘But that doesn’t mean we’re ruling it out.’’
Berlin’s slightly less frosty relations with Pyongyang than most Western governments date back to the Cold War, when communist East Germany viewed North Korea as an ally. Angela Merkel’s government at one point hoped it could exploit that shared past to serve as a bridge with the regime of Kim Jong Un. But little has materialised, and the latest disclosures are unlikely to raise expectations.
A United Nations report has found that North Korea managed to raise nearly US$140 million (NZ$192m) in revenue by flouting international sanctions last year. Pyongyang continued to export coal, iron, steel and other banned commodities in defiance of the sanctions, according to the report.
And sources close to Mike Pence, the US vice-president, branded as ‘‘a charade’’ the North’s efforts to portray itself in a positive light at the Winter Olympics in South Korea.
‘‘The vice-president will remind the world that everything the North Koreans do at the Olympics is a charade to cover up the fact that they are the most tyrannical and oppressive regime on the planet,’’ said an aide to Pence, who will lead the US delegation to the Winter Olympics.
‘‘At every opportunity, [Mr Pence] will point out the reality of the oppression in North Korea by a regime that has enslaved its people. We will not allow North Korea’s propaganda to hijack the message of the Olympics.’’
Meanwhile, China said yesterday it opposed US plans to diversify its nuclear armoury with smaller bombs. A statement said: ‘‘We hope the US will abandon its Cold War mentality, earnestly assume its special disarmament responsibilities, correctly understand China’s strategic intentions and objectively view China’s national defence and military buildup.’’ – Telegraph Group