Reports on the 'Relationship Between North Korea and Syria's Chemical Arsenal'

Several American media outlets report that, according to a confidential United Nations report, North Korea has sent materials potentially usable for the production of chemical weapons to Syria. No official has confirmed or denied these reports. CNN and the Wall Street Journal and New York Times, citing statements from diplomats and reports they have received, say that North Korea has sent these materials to Syria. The Syrian government has been accused by the United States and several other countries of carrying out chemical attacks on its own people during the country's civil war. These accusations have persisted for a long time and were reiterated during the recent widespread attacks in Eastern Ghouta. The Syrian government has always denied these accusations. The reports mention acid-resistant tiles, valves, and thermometers among the materials sent to Syria. The Wall Street Journal states that a Chinese company working for North Korea transferred five shipments to Syria between 2016 and 2017: 'The confidential UN report says these are evidence that Bashar al-Assad, the President of Syria, is paying North Korea to help his government produce chemical weapons.' CNN reports that the same report states that North Korean missile experts visited Syria in 2016 and 2017 after the transfer of equipment usable for making chemical weapons. The New York Times, the original source of this report, states that the confidential report from the UN experts emphasizes that these actions and shipments help Syria maintain its chemical arsenal while simultaneously providing financial resources to the sanctioned North Korean government. The UN report states that the Damascus government has denied the presence of 'Pyongyang missile experts' in Syria, claiming to host 'sports trainers' from North Korea instead. North Korea has yet to respond to the published reports. A UN spokesperson, in response to requests from American media, stated that they have not seen this report. The spokesperson reminded that members of that organization have severely restricted trade with North Korea while also warning about assistance to Syria's chemical arsenal. CNN states that the U.S. State Department has refrained from commenting on the media reports due to the confidentiality of the UN experts' report. This official from the State Department also reminded that since 2006, the Security Council has prohibited the transfer of weapons, nuclear devices, ballistic missiles, and other weapons of mass destruction from North Korea to other countries. An updated report from the UN experts is expected to be published on March 16.