The Flight That Wasn’t
Only weeks before dropping North Korea from an official U.S. blacklist of countries that support terrorism, the Bush administration apparently thwarted the transfer of missile parts (possibly including gyroscopes for guidance systems) from Pyongyang to Iran, U.S. officials tell NEWSWEEK. On Aug. 4, an Ilyushin aircraft operated by North Korea's state airline was granted routine permission by India to fly from Burma to Tehran via Indian airspace. Three days later, the office of India's prime minister "hurriedly" asked authorities to withdraw clearance, according to the Indian Express newspaper. Two U.S. officials, who asked for anonymity when discussing sensitive information, confirm the Bush administration asked India to block the flight.
The State Department formally dropped North Korea from its terror watch list in October, when Pyongyang agreed to disable nuclear-related facilities. But that process has moved slowly amid continuing reports of disarray in North Korea's secretive leadership. Officials in Japan and South Korea have publicly claimed that back in August the country's 66-year-old leader, Kim Jong Il, suffered a stroke. U.S. officials believe the most recent photos showing Kim at a soccer match indicate he is not near death.
When the "Dear Leader" finally does depart the scene, U.S. officials believe, he will most likely be succeeded by a collective of bureaucrats, military commanders and Communist Party functionaries, as well as at least a token member of Kim's family, most likely Chang Song Taek, a senior party official who is married to Kim's favorite sister.
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Mark Hosenball joined Newsweek as an investigative correspondent in November 1993, covering a range of issues for the National Affairs department. Most recently, he has written and reported numerous stories on terrorism and the Sept. 11 attacks on America. He has also covered campaign finance, the Monica Lewinsky controversy, the death of Princess Diana, Whitewater, the crashes of EgyptAir flight 990 and TWA flight 800, as well as related air safety issues.
Hosenball came to Newsweek from "Dateline NBC," where he worked as an investigative producer. He also worked extensively as a print journalist, writing for a number of British and American publications, including the London Sunday Times, the London Evening Standard, Time Out, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and The New Republic. In addition, he has done commentaries for American Public Radio.
Hosenball has been honored with a number of prestigious awards. Most recently, along with a team of Newsweek correspondents, he was awarded the Overseas Press Club's most prestigious honor, the 2002 Ed Cunningham Memorial Award for best magazine reporting from abroad for Newsweek's coverage of the war on terror. His reporting and that of his colleagues earned Newsweek the prestigious National Magazine Award for General Excellence in 2002 for its coverage of September 11 and its aftermath. And a story he co-authored was highlighted in a citation Newsweek received by the White House Correspondents' Association when it awarded the magazine the 2002 Edgar A. Poe Award for "excellence on a story of national or regional importance. "Newsweek's September 11 coverage started long before the attacks. An article in the magazine's February 19, 2001 issue warned with chilling accuracy: 'The threat posed by (Osama) bin Laden is growing -- and coming ever closer to home."
Hosenball was a contributor to the CANAL + TV documentary, "L'Argent de la Drogue" (Drug Money), which was awarded the "Sept D'Or," the French equivalent of an Emmy. He also contributed to NBC News' coverage of the BCCI scandal, which earned a 1991 Peabody Award.
He attended the University of Pennsylvania and Trinity College in Dublin. He lives in the Washington, D.C. area with his wife and son.
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