UN: North Korea sent weapons materials to Syria

North Korea sent materials used in producing ballistic missiles and chemical weapons to Syria despite existing sanctions, a panel of United Nations experts said in an unpublished report. The report, seen by the Associated Press and The New York Times, concluded that more than 40 previously unreported shipments to Syria took place between 2012 and 2017. The shipments included special resistance valves and thermometers used in chemical weapons, as well as shipping containers loaded with acid-resistant tiles. North Korean technicians also worked at chemical weapons and missile facilities in Syria. The United States and other Western nations accuse Syria of using chemical weapons in ongoing clashes in the rebel-held enclave of Eastern Ghouta. The report added that North Korea also sent banned ballistic missile systems and multiple rocket launchers to Myanmar, also known as Burma. The UN did not confirm whether it would release the report officially. “I don’t know about its publication date, if any,” Stephane Dujarric, a UN spokesman, told journalists Tuesday. “I think the overarching message is that all member states have a duty and responsibility to abide by the sanctions that are in place.”