From the publishers of WorldTribune.com and Geostrategy-Direct.com.
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North Korea denounces anti-proliferation exercise

North Korea’s official news agency this week said that an international military exercise intended to halt the proliferation of North Korean missile technology was actually aimed at overthrowing Pyongyang’s government.

"The U.S.-led multinational maritime search exercise for inspecting our country's ships and aircraft is an act that violates international law and agreements as well," the Korean Central Broadcasting Station announced Oct. 14.

"If the U.S. imperialists recklessly infringe on and abrogate international law and the Korean Armistice Agreement like this, any sea and airspace of the Korean peninsula or of the world will be placed in a state of grave threat and war."

In mid-September, Geostrategy-Direct reported that U.S. troops stationed in Japan would be participating in an 11-nation ship inspection exercise this week near Australia.

The U.S. Marines Third Expeditionary Brigade stationed in Okinawa joined the exercises, along with 10 other allied nations.

The exercises seek to develop procedures to halt shipments of weapons of mass destruction and missiles by challenging ships at sea, the Japanese-language Okinawa Times reported.

Although not publicly stated, the intended target of the exercises is North Korea. Earlier this year, Australia detected and apprehended a North Korean cargo ship carrying high-quality heroin off its coast. Last December, the Spanish navy challenged a suspicious North Korean ship off Yemen and discovered Scud missiles.

The exercises are part of the Proliferation Security Initiative announced by President Bush in May. In addition to the U.S., Japan and Spain, other participating countries include Great Britain, Australia, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal and Poland.

The Korean broadcast quoted the Far Eastern Economic Review magazine as stating that it would not be illegal for nations like North Korea "to load onto and transport missiles using ships."
East-Asia-Intel, www.eas-asia-intel.com, October 17, 2003
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