N.Korea, Syria 'Discussed Chemical Missile Warheads'

N.Korea, Syria 'Discussed Chemical Missile Warheads'

North Korean missile engineers during a secret visit to Syria in mid-November discussed loading chemical warheads on ballistic missiles, the Sankei Shimbun reports from Washington. Quoting an unnamed source familiar with the political situation in the Middle East, the Japanese daily said cooperation in chemical weapons was “evidence of close collaboration in the development of weapons of mass destruction” between the two countries. The source claimed North Korean ground-to-ground missile engineers are helping Syria install chemical warheads on missiles. He added the North Korea-Syria discussions were apparently aimed at resuming missile tests after an explosion occurred during a test on the fuel of Scud-C missiles at military facilities in northern Syria in late July. The incident killed and wounded dozens of people. The two countries would have discussed measures to carry out a long-distance test and checked safety measures before resuming missile tests. The British military magazine Jane’s Defence Weekly said the explosion killed dozens of Iranians in addition to Syrian victims and caused the leak of chemicals like nerve gas within the facilities. The source said the explosion also killed three North Korean engineers. The Sankei claimed the North has helped Syria develop missiles in various ways, including selling it Scud-C missiles since the 1980s, and loading chemical warheads was part of that cooperation. (englishnews@chosun.com )