# Syria and North Korea? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 26, 2008, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syria-and-north-korea/446929 "2008-04-26T01:19:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![UncleFred](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f0a364/32.png) [@UncleFred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleFred)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2008, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syria-and-north-korea/446929/1 "2008-04-26T01:19:31Z")
The recent hearings on North Korea assisting Syria with a nuclear reactor have me wondering; what brought these two nations to work together? They seem to not have a lot in common and if anything might have reasons to not get along. (Should this even be in a different forum?) ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2008, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syria-and-north-korea/446929/2 "2008-04-26T01:31:19Z")
[QUOTE=UncleFred] The recent hearings on North Korea assisting Syria with a nuclear reactor have me wondering; what brought these two nations to work together? [/QUOTE] I’m not sure we have a factual answer to this question, but here’s what I suspect: Assuming the story is correct, if Syria wanted nuclear technology, where would they get it from? NK has it, would be willing to do it on the sly (probably) and they can use the cash. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2008, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syria-and-north-korea/446929/3 "2008-04-26T01:32:19Z")
From the Congressional briefing: > [@](#): > > Q: And North Korean intentions? Cash? > > SENIOR INTELLIGENCE OFFICIAL 1: Cash. > > SENIOR INTELLIGENCE OFFICIAL 2: It’s cash. > > SENIOR INTELLIGENCE OFFICIAL 1: Cash. So umm…yea. Cash Of course US intelligence has a reputation not unlike that of the Keystone Cops these days, so who knows if they’re right. But in any case, the offical line of the US gov’t seems be Korea is in it for the money, and that’s probably as close as a GQ type answer as is possible unless Kim Jong Ill posts here. ETA: whole briefing is [here](http://www.armscontrolwonk.com/1865/full-text-of-the-syria-briefing) ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2008, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syria-and-north-korea/446929/4 "2008-04-26T02:06:16Z")
[QUOTE=John Mace] Assuming the story is correct… [/QUOTE] Some do [have doubts:](http://money.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=453444) > [@](#): > > IAEA officials on Friday expressed bemusement about some of the information produced by the CIA on the reactor. One Vienna-based official described a CIA video bringing together a compilation of images at the Syrian facility as “a little propagandistic.” ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2008, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syria-and-north-korea/446929/5 "2008-04-26T07:10:54Z")
[QUOTE=Simplicio] Of course US intelligence has a reputation not unlike that of the Keystone Cops these days, so who knows if they’re right. [/QUOTE] Which is why it’s a good thing all the information about the reactor was provided by Israeli intelligence, who still have a pretty good reputation. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2008, 10:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syria-and-north-korea/446929/6 "2008-04-26T10:08:13Z")
So, did anyone notice the North Koreans entering Syria? Don’t we have informants and such making sure people like that can’t get halfway around the world without anyone noticing? ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2008, 10:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syria-and-north-korea/446929/7 "2008-04-26T10:34:13Z")
They \*were \* noticed. Hence the bombing. (Anyway, what’s so hard about getting on a flight from Beijing to Damascus? I assume hundreds of people do it every day.) ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2008, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syria-and-north-korea/446929/8 "2008-04-26T10:37:18Z")
[QUOTE=Alessan] (Anyway, what’s so hard about getting on a flight from Beijing to Damascus? I assume hundreds of people do it every day.) [/QUOTE] Unless it was nonstop, there should have been at least one opportunity to waylay them. ---
**Author:** ![Jurph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/50afbb/32.png) [@Jurph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jurph)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2008, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syria-and-north-korea/446929/9 "2008-04-26T11:49:10Z")
[QUOTE=Derleth] Unless it was nonstop, there should have been at least one opportunity to waylay them. [/QUOTE] Kim Jong-Il likes to send most people out under diplomatic cover, so waylaying them is not just unproductive but counterproductive. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2008, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syria-and-north-korea/446929/10 "2008-04-27T04:38:24Z")
[QUOTE=Jurph] Kim Jong-Il likes to send most people out under diplomatic cover, so waylaying them is not just unproductive but counterproductive. [/QUOTE] I suppose you just have to decide what’s worth more: Stopping proliferation or maintaining diplomatic contacts with North Korea.