I’ve been doing a lot of work lately on state-to-state nuclear cooperation — especially the connection between Pakistan and North Korea.
I recently reread Bamboo and Blood, by James Church (a pseudonym for one of the most distinguished North Korea watchers in the US). Although Bamboo and Blood is a work of fiction, and Church permits himself some artistic license, it is also a pretty decent introduction to North Korea’s illicit activities in the 1990s.
I was hoping to pick up some hints hear or there, but I was hit over the head with the main plot point: Church’s description of the Israeli effort in the 1990s to bribe Pyongyang to stop selling missiles in the Middle East.
I was mulling writing something on that period, when a colleague sent me a copy of Israel and North Korea: Missing the Real Story, a compressed account of the Israeli effort by Aidan Foster-Carter. It is such an artful and perfect introduction to the issue that I despair of writing anything better. Have a look for yourself.
FSB | April 21, 2011
Now if we could only bribe the US to stop supplying arms and missiles to Israel, and keep the money for US taxpayers.
Anon | April 23, 2011
An excellent overview by Chomsky of why this is unlikely to happen:
http://www.counterpunch.org/chomsky04222011.html
joshua | April 21, 2011
Foster-Carter’s article cites two sources, a 2006 article by Yossi Melman in Ha’aretz, and a 1995 article by Oded Granot in Ma’ariv.
Here they are. Warning: the Granot story is rather long and detailed.
Melman: http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/features/how-the-mossad-killed-a-deal-with-kim-il-sung-1.191489
Granot: http://www.fas.org/news/israel/tac95037.htm
FSB | April 23, 2011
If you’re working on state-to-state nuclear cooperation, you may want to have a look at how US helped Pakistan obtain the bomb, and crushed one of its own best people in the process:
http://www.pogo.org/investigations/government-oversight/rbarlow.html
Can we put sanctions on ourselves?
FSB | April 23, 2011
…and a more juicy account from the Guardian:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2007/oct/13/usa.pakistan
“The man who knew too much
He was the CIA’s expert on Pakistan’s nuclear secrets, but Rich Barlow was thrown out and disgraced when he blew the whistle on a US cover-up.”
Aidan Foster-Carter | April 26, 2011
Many thanks to Jeffrey for kind words, and Joshua for adding the links. These were in my article as sent, but for some reason Asia Times omitted them at first ‘printing’. They have now been reinstated.
I look forward to Jeffrey’s findings on Pakistan-NK. Is it true that Benazir carried nuclear plans in her coat pocket when visiting PY, as I believe her biographer alleges?
Cheers from sunny Devon
Aidan FC
Aidan Foster-Carter
Honorary Senior Research Fellow in Sociology & Modern Korea, Leeds University, UK
James Church | April 29, 2011
Yes, you’re right. The AF-C article is wonderful. As for the 90s, too bad we didn’t let Israel make its deal with the North. Too bad they didn’t ignore us when we told them we’d take care of the problem.