North Korea Could Give Nuclear Weapons to Terrorist Groups, U.S. Military Officials Warn

By Marina Malenic
Global Security Newswire

WASHINGTON -- Two U.S. military commanders said yesterday that North Korea's development of nuclear weapons, and the possibility of those weapons ending up in the hands of terrorists, were among their greatest military concerns. (see GSN, March 31).

While North Korea-s conventional military capabilities have remained constant for "the past 12 or 24 months," the continued development of Pyongyang's "asymmetrical threat" is of greater concern, Navy Adm. Thomas Fargo, commander of the U.S. Pacific Command, and Army Gen. Leon LaPorte, commander of U.S. forces in Korea, told the House Armed Services Committee.

"As we assess the military capability of North Korea ... the thing that concerns us the most is the development of their asymmetrical threats, their special operating forces, their weapons of mass destruction," LaPorte said. "I think the conventional threat will remain constant. It's the asymmetrical threat, with weapons of mass destruction, that is the unknown," he added.

Fargo added that North Korea's potential sale of nuclear materials to terrorists is of grave concern.

"I think our largest concern would be if nuclear material was sold to al-Qaeda, clearly," he said. "They have the will and the skill, obviously, to carry out a devastating terrorist attack. ... That is a kind of nightmare scenario, and that's why we feel so strongly about a non-nuclear Korean Peninsula," he added.

LaPorte added that the threat of North Korea taking part in such weapons transfers is credible given Pyongyang's record of arms dealing.

"They're a known proliferators of missiles, missiles technology, narcotics and other illegal activities," LaPorte said. "What's to prevent North Korea from deciding to sell to other nations or terrorist organizations nuclear grade -- weapons grade material? Given the history of North Korea relative to selling missiles and missile technology it's a concern we must address," he added.

My friend, who's pretty familiar with nuclear matters, wanted to know why the US just didn't buy up, under exclusive contract, all the plutonium and U235 that North Korea can make, at a cost he estimates to be about $1 million per warhead (less the resale value of the material once its reprocessed as fuel for reactors). "Surely," he asks, "we can outbid Al-Qaeda?"

Such a market-oriented solution, which puts the material out of reach of terrorists and provides North Korea with much needed hard currency, should appeal to conservatives, although the neocon bully-boys in the Bush administration would probably look down on a non-military solution to the problem.

[Thanks to Gar for the link.]