MILNET

The Axis of Evil Weapons Trade
2/11/2005

Previous Report (12/12/2002)
First Report (12/03/2002)

Our last report was generated on 12/12//2002, before the U.S. led coalition ousted Saddam Hussein from power in Iraq.  As the war began to loom with Iraq, the degree of resistance from Russia was expected as it was already apparent that Russia was back into its old cold war role as agent provocateur, however the oddly anxious resistance from France and Germany was quite puzzling.  At the time MILNET reports cited the concern that there was something more than European independence and anti-war zeal of an ever increasing liberal-socialist movement. Sources hinted at "under-the-table" dealings between those three nations and Iraq.  However we could only report on suspicions.

In 2004, the reasons became quite clear.  Major media outlets throughout the world began to report on an unfolding scandal which explained quite clearly why the governments of Germany, France, and Russia were so intent on preventing the U.S. and U.K. from going into Iraq.  The scandal was discovered while perusing documents captured in Iraq, documents that spelled out clearly how Saddam Hussein's regime was trading illicit oil-for-food exports for clandestine money vouchers that could then be used for other purchases, funds which eventually went into accounts that defied and circumvented the U.N. sanctions.  This end-run around sanctions provides a clear reason for the three country's intense reluctance to allow the U.S. into Iraq, and of course points out another element of the Axis of Evil Weapons Trade business.

Also in 2004, the nation of Libya finally appeared to come around, renouncing terrorism and turning over documentation on their own clandestine nuclear program.  Once again the Axis of Evil trade routes were exposed, this time, in the trading of nuclear secrets between Pakistan and Libya as well as technology from Iran's nuclear power program.  Once again China and Russia are in the picture again, providing nuclear power plant technology to Libya as well.

Mounting evidence indicates that the Khan group within Pakistan was selling nuclear weapons technology to whomever had the cash.  This disturbing find is reflected in the known customers (solid lines with mushroom cloud) and a dotted line between Pakistan and Iran.  Note that the Chinese and Russians deny selling nuclear weapons technology and no documented public proof has surfaced.

Another troubling discovery since the invasion of Iraq is the proclivity with which both China and North Korea have been engaged in shipment of cruise missiles and SCUD derivatives to unstable or rogue nations (also reflected in the new version of our chart below).

And finally, the Saudis continue to export Whahhibist vitriol to the world along with turning a blind eye (although reduced significantly) to their countrymen funding various radical Islamic causes which feed the terrorist networks as well as fund indirectly procurement of weapons of mass destruction.  Saudi cash continues to flow into terrorist coffers, however there is hope -- the Saudi government has begun to take a few steps toward reducing the cash flow.

We apologize for the busy-ness of this chart, however, every time we've tried to clean it up, we've wound up adding more new nations supporting the Axis of Evil, rather than removing countries and links.  That is the sad state of affairs in WMD proliferation.

Click on diagram to see a larger image

Having seen democratic elections in Iraq, noting the current close ties between the U.S. and Iraq, and celebrating the removal of the Taliban's rule over Afghanistan, MILNET believes our next pass at this chart will at least require adding notations of "(Before 2004)" for Iraq and Libyan transfers.  Also the assistance of Pakistan in the War on Terror may also result in better control of the nuclear proliferation from that country also allowing a similar notation.

We couldnt't resist painting a big red X through Iraq for use around the shop here at MILNET.  Perhaps by February of 2006, we will be able to paint Xs over all three of the named "Axis of Evil" nations, however, we are not all that hopeful.

Sources:
 

  1. A puzzling move by Pyongyang, MSNBC Online, October 17, 2002
  2. U.S. cautious on N. Korea nuke issue , MSNBC Online, November 19, 2002
  3. Bush, Kim blast N. Korean plan, MSNBC Online, December 13, 2002
  4. North Korea to Reactivate Nuclear Program Frozen Since 1994, Fox News Online, December 13, 2002
  5. U.S. Explosives Team Searches Ship Carrying Dozen North Korean Missiles, Fox News Online, December 11, 2002
  6. U.S. Concerned About N. Korean Arms Dealing,  Fox News Online, December 11, 2002
  7. U.S. Suspects Two Construction Sites in Iran of Being Future Nuke Program, Fox News Online, December 12, 2002
  8. Al Qaeda-Linked Group Got Chemical Weapons From Iraq, U.S. Agents Report , Liza Porteus, Fox News, December 12, 2002
  9. Shots fired to stop SCUD ship, CNN, 12/10/2002
  10. Korean Nuclear Weapons Chronology, MILNET Brief, 9/04/2004
  11. Iranian Nuclear Weapons Chronology, MILNET: Brief, 7/28/2004
  12. North Korea May Have Sent Nuclear Material to Libya U.S. Tells Allies, Washington Post, 2/02/2005
  13. SCUD-B Shahib-1, FAS, undated
  14. North Korean Missile Exports and Technical Assistance to Iran, Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI), 1/21/2003
  15. North Korean Missile Exports and Technical Assistance to Iraq, Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI), 1/21/2003
  16. North Korean Missile Exports and Technical Assistance to Libya, Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI), 1/21/2003
  17. North Korean Missile Imports and Technical Assistance from China, Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI), 1/21/2003
  18. North Korean Missile Imports and Technical Assistance from Russia, Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI), 1/21/2003
  19. Iran and Nuclear Weapons, PDF(286 KB), Center for Strategic and International Studies, Anthony Cordsman, 2/7/2000
  20. Iran, Carnegie Non Proliferation News Section
  21. Iran Chemical Chronology, NTI section 
  22. North Korea Chemical Program, NTI Section
  23. Iran Biological Program, NTI Section


© Copyright, 2002, Michael Crawford, MILNET

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