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I’m not sure even David Frum still believes in the “Axis of Evil” but with Syria stepping into the void left by Iraq, Iran-North Korea-Syria cooperation is back in the news.
Multiple press sources describe US pressure on Iraq to block North Korean and Iranian planes, thought to carry North Korean arms, from entering Syria. Reuters quoted Ali al-Mossawi, media advisor to the Iraq's prime minister, to the effect that "Continuing the Iraqi government policy to investigate the passing of weapons to Syria through Iraqi land and air space, the Iraqi authorities prevented a North Korean plane from going to Syria, after they suspected that the plane was shipping weapons." Moussawi indicated that the plane’ itinerary, from North Korea to Syria, was what had aroused suspicions but that there had been no contact between the Iraqi government and North Korea on the issue. He added that "We have told the Iranians that we could search their planes any time, randomly, and whenever we get any evidence (that they are shipping weapons)." Senator John Kerry (D-Ma) has threatened to review US aid to Iraq if it does not halt such overflights to Syria. Such weapons transfers would be in violation of UNSC sanctions.
According to the Washington Post, in a September meeting in Tehran, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told North Korea’s titular No. 2, Kim Yong Nam, “that the Islamic Republic and North Korea have common enemies and that both should resist threats and pressures to reach their goals.” North Korean officials have said in the past that their nations are in “one trench” in the fight against the Western powers.
Moving from terrestrial to cyber warfare, according to eWeek, spurred by attacks on its critical infrastructure (read: nuclear program) the Iranian government “has kicked off a number of initiatives aimed at strengthening its digital defenses and its ability to operate online” These include a call for white-hat hackers to help track down online criminals and entered into a cyber-partnership with North Korea “to exchange information and technical knowledge about cyber-attacks targeting the two nations.”
Maybe the two countries could add weather control to their science and technology cooperation agreement. According to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran’s enemies have concocted a sinister plan to foster drought by destroying clouds before they reach Iran. The world’s foremost argument for term limits was quoted by multiple sources as stating "The enemy destroys the clouds that are headed towards our country and this is a war Iran will win." I wonder if this explains North Korea’s climatic travails.
At least KCNA has never confused a story from the Onion "Gallup Poll: Rural Whites Prefer Ahmedinejad to Obama" with reality--and then doubled down when caught out. "Catastrophic Valiant Kim-Chee Earthquake Stomp-Kick," indeed!
