That North Korean ship

Last Friday I wrote about the USS John S. McCain shadowing the North Korean-flagged ship, the Kang Nam. Today more details about the operations are coming out. Associated Press reports the ship is carrying missiles to Myanmar;

The South Korean news network YTN, citing an unidentified intelligence source in the South, said on Sunday that the U.S. suspects the cargo ship Kang Nam is carrying missiles and related parts. Myanmar’s military government, which faces an arms embargo from the United States and the European Union, has reportedly bought weapons from North Korea.

US News and World Reports writes that the North Korean government is issuing some of their usual rhetoric;

“As long as our country has become a proud nuclear power, the U.S. should take a correct look at whom it is dealing with,” said a commentary in the Rodong Sinmun newspaper, which is regarded as a source of official viewpoints.

“It would be a grave mistake for the U.S. to think it can remain unhurt if it ignites the fuse of war on the Korean peninsula.”

The newspaper also blasted President Obama’s recent pledge to protect South Korea, saying it was an attempt to attack the North with atomic bombs.

SInce the US and the UN both decided to make public that they won’t authorize the use of force against North Korean shipping, is it really surprising that the Norks would engage in illegal arms sales? The crew of the McCain is probably on the decks practicing their fist shaking as I write this.

We really can’t expect the President to worry about weapons proliferation while he’s busy handing over tobacco regulation to the FDA, can we?

Category: Barack Obama/Joe Biden, Foreign Policy, Terror War, United Nations