N. Korea Aircraft Makes Emergency Landing At Bangkok's Don Mueang Airport

[ferd54]

small detail being overlooked: Thai police now have 35 tons of weapons.

I think its the military that has it, which gives me more hope that it won't end back up on the black market. Just think what a drunken Thai policeman could do with an RPG ...

[slapout]

Black market my a.., the Thai military is just eliminating some of the wish list budget, with what is in hand. The monies saved can be used for inspection trips, pub hopping, casino reconnoitering etc.

[A_Traveller]

Given that one alleged destination for the cargo was Sri Lanka, one can't help but smile at the point that apparently that was Khun Thaksin's last port of call before Cambodia.

Regards

[fiercesnake]

Wey Hey! Bet these guys were thinking, "Now where's the best place to have an emergency landing?" Hmmm let's go to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (Don't you just love how extremist countries always call their communist nations "democratic") and be so happy following the North Korean's beloved leader Kim Jong-il, or perhaps we could spend a few days in LOS; pretty girls, real alcohol, nice weather?

Gosh I know if I was them I'd be willing to give it a go. What a choice back to the Ukraine or North Korea. WOW, what a holiday camp. Or, instead of flying illegal military arms to some miserable old fart hel_l bent on destruction of the US and wanting to head us all off into WWIII we can try LOS! If they were "escorted" or forced down, think I'd be not so concerned that it was at least Thailand.

Though everybody knows they'd have been pretty daft to think it was oil rig gear! Nice try, sounds like old KGB style response. If they do go back I REALLY wouldn't want to be in their shoes, if they have any shoes by the time they are sent back, or any feet for that matter! I could just see the response from the military on both sides, for why they had to land an illegal shipment of Russian produced arms into LOS Ouch!

Edited December 14, 2009 by fiercesnake

[bendejo]

small detail being overlooked: Thai police now have 35 tons of weapons.

I think its the military that has it, which gives me more hope that it won't end back up on the black market. Just think what a drunken Thai policeman could do with an RPG ...

Like put on a red shirt at the next rally of his fellow Issani hayseeds and give the Thai military what-for?

[geriatrickid]

small detail being overlooked: Thai police now have 35 tons of weapons.

I think its the military that has it, which gives me more hope that it won't end back up on the black market. Just think what a drunken Thai policeman could do with an RPG ...

Are these weapons even reliable? I don't know if North Korean machinery is anymore reliable than the pride of Germany, the Trabant. Maybe it can be used as scrap, assuming of course it's not contaminated with radioactivity.

[Credo]

Unreliable weapons are far more dangerous than the reliable ones.

[Publicus]

Given that one alleged destination for the cargo was Sri Lanka, one can't help but smile at the point that apparently that was Khun Thaksin's last port of call before Cambodia.

Regards

It wouldn't be a surprise to find Takki in Sri Lanka as Sri Lanka is in hoc and in bed with the PRC after Beijing supplied military resources and cash to crush the Tamil Tiger rebels once and for all to include killing their leader. Now the PRC is constructing its own naval base there and is developing the hometown harbor of the president free of charge.

As Sri Lanka is getting all the arms it wants from the PRC, it's highly unlikely such a small arms shipment as was seized here Saturday would be bound for this new PRC satellite country. Indian intelligence via channels probably confirmed Sri Lanka was not the destination, which is also what Sri Lanka says.

I'd rule out Sri Lanka as a possible area destination for the arms cargo. Matters are pretty settled there.

[ferd54]

If it turns out this shipment was destined for Pakistan and terrorists that would be huge news. If North Korea could be definitively linked to supplying weapons to terrorists, the negotiation "standoff" on the Korean peninsula would move to a whole different level.

China is already embarrassed by the behavior of its erstwhile client state; if it were linked to Islamic terrorism that would pretty much mean the DPRK sh*t the bed. China is paranoid about is own perceived "Islamic problem" in its northwest (though it is just as likely a cultural conflict rather than religious one). At any rate, China is fully on board to fight Islamic extremism.

Of course, the US will go ballistic if a DPRK-terrorism link is clearly established.

I know, a lot of "ifs" in there.

[webfact]

Court approves detention of weapons aircraft crew

BANGKOK, Dec 14 (TNA) - A Bangkok court approved a further 12-day detention of five foreign men charged with illegal arms possession after their Russian-built Georgian aircraft carrying 35 tonnes of weapons from North Korea was impounded at Don Mueang airport on Saturday.

Police initially rejected bail for five crew members of the plane--four men from Kazakhstan and one from Belarus--as they were detained with tonnes of military weaponry and might attempt escape if they were granted bail.

The Kazakh embassy will submit a bail request for them Monday afternoon.

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban is due to meet officials from Thailand's security agencies Monday after to discuss the issue. He is the government's security chief.

The five were arrested Saturday when their plane made an emergency landing at Don Mueang airport for refueling. The cache, including missiles and rocket-propelled grenades, was impounded and transported in military trucks to a depot in Nakhon Sawan. (TNA)

-- TNA 2009/12/14

[newsfooter][/newsfooter]

[elcent]

... and now someone will spout: "now gimme da Bout" (probably behind closed doors)

... just another tip-off in the rumour kitchen ...

[webfact]

Plane detained in Bangkok not belong to Kazakhstan : Kazakh ministry

An Il-76 cargo plane detained in Thailand no longer belongs to Kazakhstan, Kazakh Transportation and Communications Ministry Civil Aviation Committee Chairman Radilbek Adimolda said at a briefing in Astana.

"This aircraft belonged to a private Kazakh company. On Oct. 7, 2009, it was sold to the airline Air West Georgia," the chairman was quoted as saying by Azerbaijan-based Trendnews online.

The plane was detained Dec 12, after landing for refuelling at Bangkok's Don Muang Airport. About 35 tonnes of war weapons were found in the plane's cargo.

According to the chairman, the airplane crew is four Kazakh citizens and one Belarusian citizen.

A Kazakh diplomatic mission is conducting activities to identify the circumstances surrounding the detainment of several Kazakh citizens involved in the incident, Adimolda said.

"At present, the identity of the Kazakh citizens is being investigated. It is known that they work for the Kazakh private airline East Wind, but were on leave without pay. How they were employed by the Georgian airline is still unknown," he said.

-- The Nation 2009/12/14

[newsfooter][/newsfooter]

[Asa]

Certainly a crisis for the crew of that aircraft.

Yes Thailand has "repaired" the problem as you put it - confiscated the shipment of arms that were going to be used to kill thousands of allied troops.

UN troops I might add (not just US troops)

so does this mean the UNO and USAmericans have the right to kill but the Taliban or whoever doesnt?

If anyone INVADED my country for what reason ever, I will fight and trying to protect it. Not everybody on this planet need Coca Cola, Mc Donald Tits in Television and a pornindustry. BUT like an old German speech says.....und willst du nicht mein Bruder sein dann hau ich dir den Schädel ein.... free translated....be my brother or I kill you.

I doubt since years that the reason for a WAR in Afghanistan is to free the people from the US created Taliban. The true case behind are oil and gas pipelines and a lot of drugs. Afghanistan cost money, every drugdollar the USA doesnt make is a lost dollar. And another reason is, there is no better place to get rid of the old weapons....except Irak.

What a load of Jihad crap !!! The true case is the Muslim Jihad mission is to kill or convert all non believers thru terror. Like any disease its best to stop it before it spreads. The USA did not create the Taliban. The Taliban was created and supported by the Muslim community everywhere. It is the responsibility of this community to stop these mad killers. If the Muslims refuse to stop them it is the same as condoning their activity. The NATO forcses are there to snuff out this Muslim test of our resolve. Time will tell.

Taliban was created and had been supported by the U.S. to fight the Afghan war against Russian expansion/ occupation. Now they are against the U.S. and the west. Their fight affects the whole world, from opium trade, and supported by the al Queda. You recently asked why many countries seem to hate American, which in your view only seek peace and democracy. I'll say that it is because the U.S. actions led us believe it seeks no peace, but to protect its interest. It never shows sincerity to the world, therefore it has no real friends. American people are nice, but its government... as metioned never ceased to create trouble.

[ferd54]

Taliban was created and had been supported by the U.S. to fight the Afghan war against Russian expansion/ occupation. Now they are against the U.S. and the west. Their fight affects the whole world, from opium trade, and supported by the al Queda. You recently asked why many countries seem to hate American, which in your view only seek peace and democracy. I'll say that it is because the U.S. actions led us believe it seeks no peace, but to protect its interest. It never shows sincerity to the world, therefore it has no real friends. American people are nice, but its government... as metioned never ceased to create trouble.

These Muslim extremists are crazed, ignorant, uncivilized and totally indefensible by any sane person. What the Taliban did before the US invasion was turn the clock back 1,000 years so it could brutalize the population. They do the same thing to other Muslims, not just to Westerners.

The US government was indeed arrogant to the point of criminality in some cases. But that's in the past. The true greatness of the American system was illustrated by a bloodless revolution last November (called an election) that deposed the Cheny clique and swept Obama into power. He's sure having a tough time, but the cards he was dealt by the previous administration were about as bad as they get. Give him some time to clean all these messes up.

[JimsKnight]

There has been speculation in the past that N.Korea has been supplying weapons and nuclear know-how to Myanmar.

They do quite nicely off the Chinese supplylines already w/out N. Korea though

[Lovia]

Kazhakystan.......555555555...

You remember borat, guys? I bet he ordered this plane to murder his wife.

[Publicus]

National television channels reported that US officials had tipped off Thai authorities but a spokesman for the US Embassy in Bangkok, Michael Turner, said he was unaware of the incident.

Plausible deniability? Or just completely out of the loop?

We know the US Embassy knew all of this from the outset, that it has been and continues to be fully involved. There are ways to confirm this.

Specifically, do we know the exact words Michael Turner stated? If he's quoted on the record anywhere we likely would get a clear understanding of whether the US Embassy admits or sidesteps the fact the Embassy has been fully involved in the planning and execution of this arms plane takedown from the outset.

The US State Department and its embassies and consulates can respond to inquiries in a number of ways, but whenever US diplomats say "We can neither confirm nor deny" knowledge and/or participation in something, anything, then we know for certain they were in fact involved and/or knew from the get-go.

In fact a Kazakhstan diplomat is quoted above using similar language, saying "We can neither confirm nor reject" their knowledge and/or participation, meaning yes, we're guilty as sin too but won't ever admit to it so blame it all on someone else or some others.

The diplomatic "We can neither confirm nor deny..." = a plausible denial. When diplomats prefer not to deny while simultaneously admitting nothing, it means they're in it, and often in it up to their ears.

We know the US Embassy was in this up to their ears. So does anyone have Turner's exact words? Turner's exact words simply could be some basic blah blah blah, but if Turner 'neither confirms nor denies' we'd have the smoking gun statement plain as day. 

Edited December 14, 2009 by Publicus

[neverdie]

Pilot to thai police: we thought weapons were oil rig equipment

A believable story, I wonder why the BIB didnt fall for it

[TAWP]

If it turns out this shipment was destined for Pakistan and terrorists that would be huge news. If North Korea could be definitively linked to supplying weapons to terrorists, the negotiation "standoff" on the Korean peninsula would move to a whole different level.

China is already embarrassed by the behavior of its erstwhile client state; if it were linked to Islamic terrorism that would pretty much mean the DPRK sh*t the bed. China is paranoid about is own perceived "Islamic problem" in its northwest (though it is just as likely a cultural conflict rather than religious one). At any rate, China is fully on board to fight Islamic extremism.

Of course, the US will go ballistic if a DPRK-terrorism link is clearly established.

I know, a lot of "ifs" in there.

Indeed, if it is one thing China has gone silently tough on is the domestic extreme Muslim groups. They have many millions of peaceful Muslims within their borders (from culture/tradition, I had no idea a friend of mine has a mom of a non-Han [uyghur iirc] race until she told me, genetically they are the same) but also a growing insurgency tendancy. Not hard to understand with a state with a history of massacres against Muslims. In either way, the NK is supporting terrorists of a religion it would clash with the will of PRC.

[ferd54]

The NY Times is quoting Thai sources that say the plane was headed to the Middle East. As well, some sealed containers have been left that way and transported to "an airbase in northern Thailand" -- which could be Udon Thani.

Of course the US embassy is up its ears in this, and good on 'em if they had a hand in stopping a rogue state from illegally shipping arms to terrorists.

We'll see, but this story could go very big.

[brahmburgers]

Where's Oliver North when you need him?

Some of us of a certain vintage remember Irangate. It was early 1980's when the Reagan administration couldn't get US funding to support the Somozas (right wingers) against the upstart Sandanistas (left wing insurgents under Daniel Ortega, who's still in the limelight).

One steamy night over a Nicaraguan jungle, a mystery plane made a forced landing. It's unfortunate pilot was Hasenfus, who later revealed he was paid by the a clandestine para-military group headed by Col. Oli North to ferry cash and arms to the right wingers. To top it all off, the hard right wing Reagan administration, because it couldn't get the ok to fund its little war from the US Congress, devised a way to trade US weapons to Iran, and sneak the money to the right wingers in Nicaragua via operatives like Hasenfus and North with CIA compliance.

What does it have to do with this N.Korea/Kazikhstan story? I don't know, but as it unravels, it may have more twists than a hula hoop contest.

[ozzydom]

Certainly a crisis for the crew of that aircraft.

Yes Thailand has "repaired" the problem as you put it - confiscated the shipment of arms that were going to be used to kill thousands of allied troops.

UN troops I might add (not just US troops)

so does this mean the UNO and USAmericans have the right to kill but the Taliban or whoever doesnt?

If anyone INVADED my country for what reason ever, I will fight and trying to protect it. Not everybody on this planet need Coca Cola, Mc Donald Tits in Television and a pornindustry. BUT like an old German speech says.....und willst du nicht mein Bruder sein dann hau ich dir den Schädel ein.... free translated....be my brother or I kill you.

I doubt since years that the reason for a WAR in Afghanistan is to free the people from the US created Taliban. The true case behind are oil and gas pipelines and a lot of drugs. Afghanistan cost money, every drugdollar the USA doesnt make is a lost dollar. And another reason is, there is no better place to get rid of the old weapons....except Irak.

What a load of Jihad crap !!! The true case is the Muslim Jihad mission is to kill or convert all non believers thru terror. Like any disease its best to stop it before it spreads. The USA did not create the Taliban. The Taliban was created and supported by the Muslim community everywhere. It is the responsibility of this community to stop these mad killers. If the Muslims refuse to stop them it is the same as condoning their activity. The NATO forcses are there to snuff out this Muslim test of our resolve. Time will tell.

Taliban was created and had been supported by the U.S. to fight the Afghan war against Russian expansion/ occupation. Now they are against the U.S. and the west. Their fight affects the whole world, from opium trade, and supported by the al Queda. You recently asked why many countries seem to hate American, which in your view only seek peace and democracy. I'll say that it is because the U.S. actions led us believe it seeks no peace, but to protect its interest. It never shows sincerity to the world, therefore it has no real friends. American people are nice, but its government... as metioned never ceased to create trouble.

The Russian -Afghan war was against the Mujahadeen warlords ,Russia withdrew its forces in 1989 , Taliban was formed to take over Afghan from the Mujahadeen and impose their Sharia laws on the Afghan people, their first armed incursion against the Mujahadeen was not until 1994.

America entered the fray after 9/11 because the Taliban were supporting the perpetrator of the 9/11 terror attack Osama Bin Laden.

[Pseacraft]

What a load of BS...Flying from Columbo to Ukraine on a single load of fuel, I want to see an empty IL-76 do that - their gas hogs. I'll watch and not ride that doomed flight. It is interesting that the Khazak company sold the aircraft to Air West Georgia on 7 October. I read on a Russian website that Air West Georgia was officially formed/registered on 9 October of 2009. What a soap opera....break out the bamboo for the crew.

[Publicus]

Sadly, N Korea and Burma are China's junkyard dogs. They say that the reason China supports these regimes is because they don't want the US to invade these countries because it would put US military presence along their borders. China seems to like the current setup but in cannot last with the way the North is acting.

I am guessing that S Koreans dream one day that the Northern regime will fall and the country will reunite but China does not want that. Yet the behavior of the North recently is even getting China impatient. Clearly China has less control in N Korea then people think.

The PRC knows that the PRC has indeed lost control over N Korea, that there's nothing the PRC can do about it, that Kim Jong Il knows this, has consciously and deliberately forced the fact on the PRC and is off on his own to wreak who know what. PRChinese intellectuals and military analysts admit and confirm this to me directly. 

Sure PRC provides NK with close to 80% of its energy supplies and close to the same amount in food. This should give the PRC leverage over Kim but it in fact does not. Should the PRC reduce or temporarily halt its flow of vital supplies to NK, for even a month or so, it would affect the precarious NK economy to risk an immediate collapse of the country. The PRC is mortified of the prospect of a collapse of NK so sits on its hands instead, cursing the Great Leader who by Chinese standards has become a cynical and manipulating ingrate towards the PRC itself.

Having lived and taught in S Korea it is clear that, after the SK elites conducted a thorough examination of the reunification of Germany, no such reunification with NK is welcome by the South. The S Koreans say reunification is not possible for "another 10 years." However the S Koreans have been saying "not until ten years" with a straight face for more than 20 years now. German unification was very costly in bucks to the 3rd largest economy of the world, so what would it be to SK, whose economy presently is somewhere around 11th or 12th? Answer from the S Koreans - far too much at this stage in their development (or forseeably).

The PRC has a NK complete collapse plan ready for action which would have the PRC immediately and swiftly move in to take control of NK. The PRC would not hesitate to fill such a void swiftly and at the calculated risk that Seoul would choose not to attempt a similar move or to choose to counterengage, that the US could not act without the cooperation of Seoul. 

Not SK nor the USA, nor most governments throughout East and SE Asia would want a PRC border with S Korea where also tens of thousands of US military personnel of land, sea and air are stationed. A possible mitigating factor could well be that the PRC by moving into a collapsed NK void would have initiated a new border-to-border coexistence with SK and US forces, thus claiming it would (suddenly) be in the interests of the PRC to have such a long vertbotten circumstance because of the particulars of a NK collapse (should it actually happen). 

The Communist Party of China is still teaching in the schools of the People's Republic that the US war in Vietnam (1965-74) was in reality an attempt by the US to win a staging ground adjacent to the PRC to invade - another instance of a government indoctrinating its population of sheeple with fear in order to solidify popular support of the benevolent and protective government. Should it become necessary, it wouldn't take much for the CPC of the PRC to persuade its population of sheeple of the wisdom of a border to border situation on the Korean Peninsula.      

Edited December 14, 2009 by Publicus

[Richard W]

As a holder of a commercial pilots license I can promise that international flights don't run out of fuel,...

For a contrary view, take a look at this article in Malaysia Today. I've also heard that unexpected headwinds can cause refuelling stops in Frankfurt on flights from Singapore to London.

[webfact]

WAR WEAPON PLANE

Official inquiry to begin

By The Nation

Published on December 15, 2009

Five suspects violated Thai and international laws and face more charges

The five foreigners arrested on Saturday for carrying weapons on their airplane would face more charges under Thai law, and a special team would be set up to investigate the case in collaboration with the police, Attorney-General Julasing Wasantasing said yesterday.

The detainees were charged with giving false documents to Customs officials as well as illegally carrying more than 35 tonnes of war weapons.

The Crime Suppression Division's acting-chief Pol Colonel Supisal Pakdeenarunart said the weapons, which have been moved to the Royal Air Force Base in Takhli, Nakhon Sawan, would be inspected today.

The aircraft, operated by the five detainees, had taken off from North Korea and stopped at Don Mueang Airport, supposedly to refuel.

The circumstances of why the plane landed in Bangkok and its ultimate intended desination are still uncertain.

Acting government spokesman Panitan Watanayagorn said the suspects said they were also supposed to land in a Middle Eastern country, but did not know the exact location.

The pilot is a Belarusian, while the four crew members are from Kazakhstan.

He said initial examinations of the weapons cache revealed launchers of rocket-propelled grenades, shoulder-launched missiles, parts of a large weaponry system, various rockets, as well as large pipes.

Experts have tried to identify the weapons though they might seek assistance from foreign specialists for unfamiliar items. More crates of the cargo would be opened today for examination, Panitan added.

Meanwhile, diplomats from Belarus and Kazakhstan tried to post Bt400,000 as bail for each of the suspects yesterday, but the Criminal Court denied their request on grounds that the alleged offences involved a |massive cache of war weapons and that temporary freedom might encourage the five suspects to try to flee legal proceedings in Thailand.

The suspects have denied any wrongdoing, saying they did not know the cargo hold was loaded with arms.

Speaking at a press conference yesterday, National Security Council's secretary-general Thawil Pliansri said, in fact, the suspects had committed many offences under various laws.

"They have apparently violated the Customs and Air-Navigation Acts," he said.

Meanwhile, Julasing has assigned Sirisak Tiyaphan, chief prosecutor in charge of foreign affairs, and his subordinate Sopon Kasempiboonchai to work closely with the investigation team.

A written order should be issued by the end of this week, which Sirisak said was necessary before the inquiry process could begin.

Thawil said that since Thailand had never dealt with such case before, Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya had instructed the Department of International Organisations and Department of Treaties and Legal Affairs to consult with the United Nations.

"We will proceed in line with Thai laws and UN resolutions. We will be cautious with the case," Thawil said.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said the case was sensitive.

"We have to make clear that we are doing everything in line with the UN resolutions," he said.

Panitan said the Foreign Ministry had also invited foreign diplomats, including those from North Korea, to exchange information on this case.

"We believe the network of arms dealers must have covered various countries," he said, adding that the main markets looked to be developing countries in Asia and the Middle East.

"Small war weapons are wanted in countries where there are civil wars," Panitan noted.

As of yesterday, Air Vice Marshal Metha Sangkhawijit, who heads the Royal Thai Air Force's Directorate of Armament, confirmed that the plane had no nuclear weapons on board

-- The Nation 2009/12/15

[newsfooter][/newsfooter]

[brahmburgers]

from Nation:

Acting government spokesman Panitan Watanayagorn said the suspects said they were also supposed to land in a Middle Eastern country, but did not know the exact location.

Ah, let's pilot a plane full of weapons somewhere, ...but not sure where. Hmmm.

Let's hope authorities find out who's behind it, who's paying the crew and who was going to pay/trade for the weapons.

The five luckless guys are pawns. They're like the staff of a nuclear power plant that's gone awry. Ok, some legal repercussions for their bumblings and evasiveness (part of their job description), but they're basically doing a job. If there are criminals involved, they're the guys at the sending and receiving ends of the payload, ....and the paymasters, wherever they happen to be.

Not much different than an illegal drug shipment that screwed up. Far easier to bust the mules that are in custody. Far harder to find and bust the big shots behind the deal.

[LaoPo]

What a load of BS...Flying from Columbo to Ukraine on a single load of fuel, I want to see an empty IL-76 do that - their gas hogs. I'll watch and not ride that doomed flight. It is interesting that the Khazak company sold the aircraft to Air West Georgia on 7 October. I read on a Russian website that Air West Georgia was officially formed/registered on 9 October of 2009. What a soap opera....break out the bamboo for the crew.

If the plane came indeed from North Korea, on it's way to whatever destination is must have been quite a long flight before it landed in Bankok.

If you look at the Asia map* the plane must have avoided South Korean- as well as Chinese airspace, traveling south (via the strait between Taiwan and China ?) and must have entered Vietnamese and Laotian or Cambodian airspace to reach Thai airspace.

Quite a tricky flight if you ask me.

*

IF the plane took fuel on it's way to N. Korea (to load the "merchandise") the plane identification was known to Thai authorities and may have been there before on previous trips...who knows.

WHAT made the plane suspicious this time (other than the unconfirmed rumors that intelligence was behind the info).... and was the crew indeed informed what was in the crates?

Is it always known to crews, performing this kind of flights, what the cargo exactly is? Meaning: if you don't know, you can't tell.

Do they really care, other than that they are handed (from some chap in North Korea) some cargo papers telling "machinery"?

They probably just arrived from their hotel at the (almost empty) airport, did their usual inspections, checked some wooden closed crates, shrugged their shoulders and off they went.

I can imagine they didn't know and didn't care; these kind of pilots are not exactly the captains of our usual airliners, are they?

All in all it's a misty case; misty because there must be hundreds of these kinds of flights, carrying weapons but also "normal" machinery for exports.

How are those flights controlled and which routes do they fly ?

Hmmmmm...lots of questions.

LaoPo

[toptuan]

Now for the scary part....

He added that the matter was now under the supervision of the Thai police...

[webfact]

NORTH KOREA WEAPONS SEIZED

US pleased with Thailand's strong action : Clinton

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Monday that the US welcomes Thailand's seizure of North Korean weapons on their way to a third country in violation of a U.N. arms embargo.

"We were very pleased to see the strong action taken by the Thais," Clinton said in a joint press availability with Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Moratinos.

Yonhap news agency quoted Clinton as saying "I think the actions by the Thai government to detain the plane that is apparently carrying significant amounts of weapons demonstrates the importance of international solidarity behind the sanctions that were adopted at the United Nations earlier this year."

Thai authorities seized 35 tons of explosives, rocket-propelled grenades and missile parts on a Georgia-registered flight Saturday when the plane landed in Bangkok for refueling.

Thai authorities reportedly said that they were tipped off by the US. They said they confiscated the North Korean arms under U.N. resolutions adopted after North Korea's nuclear and missile tests earlier this year.

The resolutions call for an overall arms embargo and financial sanctions and interdiction of cargo on the high seas to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons, missiles, other weapons of mass destruction and conventional arms.

Arms sales are one of the major sources of revenue for North Korea, which has long been under international financial sanctions led by the U.S.

"I don't think anyone should be surprised that North Korea is continuing to attempt to evade the sanctions and export around the world, because that is their principal source of foreign currency," Clinton said. "They have a need to continue to sell the one thing that they can export."

North Korea is suspected of being behind nuclear and missile proliferation in Syria, Iran, Pakistan and several other countries in the Middle East.

The United Arab Emirates in July seized a Bahamian-flagged ship carrying North Korean rocket-propelled grenades and other conventional weapons labeled as machine parts, the first seizure of its kind since the Security Council adopted Resolution 1874 in June after North Korea's nuclear test in May.

At a daily news briefing, State Department spokesman Ian Kelly commended the Thai officials "for their swift and efficient action" in implementing U.N. resolutions.

"The next step here will be to report this incident to the U.N.'s North Korea Sanctions Committee, the so-called 1718 committee, which has a mandate to investigate and take appropriate action in response to incidents like this," he said.

The seizure comes as the United States has broken diplomatic ice with North Korea.

A State Department official, asking anonymity, said, "It's not unreasonable to suspect it is going to a neighboring country," apparently referring to Burma, a suspected North Korean client and a short hop from Thailand.

-- The Nation 2009/12/15

[newsfooter][/newsfooter]