BEDFELLOWS

UN: North Korean Shipments to Syria Chemical Arms Agency Were ‘Intercepted’

According to a confidential United Nations report.

North Korea has been shipping goods to the Syrian government agency responsible for the country's chemical weapons program, according to a new, confidential report from the United Nations. Two such shipments were intercepted in the last six months by UN member states, according to the 37-page document, which was turned in to the UN Security Council earlier this month. “The panel is investigating reported prohibited chemical, ballistic missile and conventional arms cooperation between Syria and the DPRK (North Korea),” according to the report. The panel was also notified that the goods in the shipments may have been part of a Korea Mining Development Trading Corporation contract with Syria. The trading corporation—Pyongyang's main arms dealer—was blacklisted in 2009 by the Security Council.