Feb. 28 (UPI) — North Korea has been shipping supplies that can be used to make chemical weapons to the Syrian government, a report by the United Nations indicates.
North Korea sent acid-resistant tiles, valves and thermometers to Syria, a U.N. Security Council diplomat, citing the unreleased report, told CNN.
The details come after multiple accusations that Syria has conducted chemical weapons attacks on civilians including those in the Damascus suburb of Eastern Ghouta, despite denials by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad‘s regime.
North Korean missile technicians also were seen working at known chemical weapons and missile facilities in Syria, according to the report reviewed by the New York Times.
The report was written by a panel of experts as part of a Security Council mandate to investigate possible sanctions violations by North Korea and present the findings in an annual report.
It found the potential chemical weapons components were sent in at least 40 previously unreported shipments of prohibited ballistic missile parts and materials that could be used for both military and civilian purposes by North Korea to Syria between 2012 and 2017.
The authors of the report said evidence didn’t prove current, continuing collaboration between North Korea and Syria on chemical weapons, but did provide details of efforts by both countries to circumvent sanctions.
