# Iran Helped North Korea Build the Bomb **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 21, 2003, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iran-helped-north-korea-build-the-bomb/149926 "2003-01-21T02:56:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2003, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iran-helped-north-korea-build-the-bomb/149926/1 "2003-01-21T02:56:58Z")
According to [this site](http://www.debka.com/article.php?aid=221) North Korea > [@](#): > > North Korea secretly transferred its nuclear manufacturing facilities to the Islamic Republic. Specifically, North Korean plant for the production of all the essential components of the North Korean bombs, including equipment for uranium enrichment, was shifted lock, stock and barrel to Iran, where production has been taking place at two secret sites, both supervised by the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization. So, does that mean that the US is wasting it’s time in trying to reach a deal with North Korea? Will we have to reach a similar deal with Iran in the near future? ---
**Author:** ![Fang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/96bed5/32.png) [@Fang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fang)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2003, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iran-helped-north-korea-build-the-bomb/149926/2 "2003-01-21T04:50:47Z")
Though it wouldn’t surprise me if it were true, DEBKA isn’t exactly the most reliable source… ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2003, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iran-helped-north-korea-build-the-bomb/149926/3 "2003-01-21T04:58:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Fang \* > \*\*Though it wouldn’t surprise me if it were true, DEBKA isn’t exactly the most reliable source… \*\* Could ya provide some info to back this up? Not disputing you at all, but the Market Place piece I heard on them seemed to indicate that they had a pretty good track record. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2003, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iran-helped-north-korea-build-the-bomb/149926/4 "2003-01-21T05:01:36Z")
It’s beginning to look like _Axis of Evil_ might be a pretty accurate description. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2003, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iran-helped-north-korea-build-the-bomb/149926/5 "2003-01-21T05:24:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sam Stone \* > \*\*It’s beginning to look like _Axis of Evil_ might be a pretty accurate description. \*\* That assessment would be valid only if we forget other nations that are not taken to task because they are “our allies”: [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/2339663.stm](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/2339663.stm) > [@](#): > > American intelligence officials say that Pakistan was a major supplier of critical equipment for North Korea’s nuclear weapons programme, according to US newspaper reports. > > . . . . . > > But the new US intelligence assessment suggests that one of America’s principle allies in the war against terrorism has been an important contributor to the nuclear weapons programme of a member of what President Bush calls the “axis of evil”. > > It is a reminder yet again that real life is far more complex than the simple slogans used to market the Bush administration’s policies abroad. AFAIKR DEBKA also said that China was moving troops to invade Afghanistan when the US was fighting against the Taliban, that report was bogus. That is coming from personal experience; other sources have mentioned that DEBKA is not quite reliable. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2003, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iran-helped-north-korea-build-the-bomb/149926/6 "2003-01-21T05:25:15Z")
Hmm, weren’t those two bombs supposed to be plutonium devices made from materials produced during GHB’s presidency ? DEBKA’s tale of uranium bombs would bring the total to 4-5 bombs. Of course I’m a little skeptical that North Korea could uproot its clandestine uranium enrichment facilities, secretly ship it to Iran, secretly reassemble it, and churn out new bombs in only a few years time. They, and the Iranians, must be blessed with a very talented and dedicated engineering and scientific establishment to accomplish such a feat. I’d be willing to bet that the U.S. and Israel would be hard pressed to achieve a similar chinese-fire-drill approach to making nukes in less than 7 or 8 years time. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2003, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iran-helped-north-korea-build-the-bomb/149926/7 "2003-01-21T05:50:08Z")
Okay, it’s a dodecahedron of evil then. ---
**Author:** ![yola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/48db29/32.png) [@yola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yola)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2003, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iran-helped-north-korea-build-the-bomb/149926/8 "2003-01-21T05:50:24Z")
We (USA) trained Iranian fighter jet pilots. Remember the Shah of Iran? Boeing built a decked out jetliner with gold bathroom fixtures for him. When they brought it back to Boeing field for maintenance there were 4-legged animals aboard. When the 9-11 pilots hit their mark my first thoughts were we (USA) probably trained them. ---
**Author:** ![DMC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dmc/32/18049_2.png) [@DMC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMC)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2003, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iran-helped-north-korea-build-the-bomb/149926/9 "2003-01-21T05:58:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tuckerfan \* > \*\*Could ya provide some info to back this up? Not disputing you at all, but the Market Place piece I heard on them seemed to indicate that they had a pretty good track record. \*\* DEBKA is sort of “The Drudge Report” of Israel. I’m sure they do break an actual story every once in a while, but they also seem to sometimes throw stuff up and see what sticks. For example: [Bin Laden is right under our noses, if we’d only listen to DEBKA.](http://www.debka.com/article.php?aid=132) Caveat Emptor. ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_Ellis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/977dab/32.png) [@Michael\_Ellis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael_Ellis)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2003, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iran-helped-north-korea-build-the-bomb/149926/10 "2003-01-21T05:59:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by yola \* > **When the 9-11 pilots hit their mark my first thoughts were we (USA) probably trained them.** I’m sorry, but what the hell are you saying here? Does “we (USA)” mean the government or the flying schools or what? 9-11 pilots learning to fly in private flying schools _does not_ equal “we (USA) trained them.” ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2003, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iran-helped-north-korea-build-the-bomb/149926/11 "2003-01-21T06:07:19Z")
DEBKA is based in Israel, and it was mentioned also that it is a source with a right wing slant. (Some even mentioned: with an apocalyptic tone) [idle speculation] Nothing wrong with that, but I could almost swear that some right wing members of Israel’s government wanted the US to attack Iran too if Iraq is invaded. This history looks to me like DEBKA is looking for a justification to take on Iran. :dubious: [/idle speculation] If (and that is a big “if”) these weapons are in Iran, Pakistan is the most likely suspect IMO.