Axis of Evil Watch

South Korea has told the Security Council that it seized garments “deemed to have military uses for chemical protection,” according to a report from Turkish Ambassador Ertugrul Apakan, chairman of a committee that monitors implementation of UN sanctions against North Korea.

The incident was one of four brought to the attention of the Security Council because of possible violations of sanctions intended to halt North Korea’s missile and nuclear programs. Apakan also reported on Italy’s seizure of two luxury yachts allegedly bound for North Korea and Thailand’s interdiction of North Korean arms aboard a plane bound for Iran. [Business Week, via Bloomberg News]

In a classic case of protesting a bit too much, Syria later sent Apakan a letter denying any knowledge of the suits, completely unsolicited:

Bashar Ja’afari, Syria’s ambassador to the UN, said his government sent the letter because South Korea’s report of the incident stated that the suits were bound for his nation. He said Syria conducted a “deep inquiry” and concluded it had nothing to do with the case.

Well, thank goodness for that conclusive refutation, which follows Syria’s equally persuasive denial that North Korea was building it a nuclear reactor at al-Kibar.

Then there is the matter of that a mysterious July 2004 explosion in Syria killed Iranian engineers who were helping to fit chemical warheads onto North Korean-designed SCUD-C missiles (the Chosun Ilbo claims that Syria subsequently enlisted North Korean help to do the job). Less well documented are reports that the train that exploded at Ryongchon, North Korea in 2004 was carrying SCUD missiles and warheads bound for Syria.

Christopher Hill could not be reached for comment.

And you remember those yachts, don’t you? And the fancy cars? And the booze? Something tells me North Korea has not yet had an epiphany about living by the rules that most of human civilization strives imperfectly to live by. Until then, North Korea will remain a threat to the entire world.