North Korea ‘to repair rockets’

 
17 July 2013

Cuba has admitted that a cargo ship seized in Panama was carrying weaponry including two MiG-21 fighters, rockets and anti-aircraft batteries to North Korea.

It said in a statement that the Soviet-era weapons were being sent for repair “to maintain our defensive capacity to preserve national sovereignty”.

The North Korean ship’s 35 crew members were all arrested after resisting Panamanian orders and the captain is in hospital after slashing his own throat as officials began searching the vessel.

The US State Department praised Panama’s decision to raid the ship and said it would be violating UN Security Council resolutions by shipping arms. They were hidden in a consignment of sugar.

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