| 13.11.200608:13 (GMT) | The Czech security service, BIS, foiled several attempts by North Korea last year to buy technology that would have helped it produce nuclear weapons, Czech public television, CT1, reported. The North Koreans who last year attempted to buy special machine tools, the pieces themselves, control units and spare parts in the Czech Republic that could be possibly used for nuclear armament were employees of North Korean companies as well as official institutions, counter-intelligence service (BIS) spokesman Jan Subert told the TV channel. BIS marred three such attempts last year, he added. "The bidders were representatives of North Korean companies as well as official institutions who visited the Czech Republic last year. BIS has information that these persons were connected with the North Korean facilities dealing with the programs of nuclear weapon production and development," Subert said.
According to news agency CTK, Subert said that North Korea wanted to purchase double-use machines in the Czech Republic, that is equipment from the civilian industry which can be used for arms production of both conventional and nuclear weapons, including their launchers. "North Korea has shown a persistent interest in the Czech Republic, and that is why BIS is trying to keep these activities under control," Subert added. Experts say that North Korea is particularly interested in special machine tools that would enable it to produce smaller nuclear weapons since now North Korea is able to make only huge nuclear weapons, but not smaller ones with launchers to transfer them far abroad, CTK adds. BIS said in its annual report for 2005 that Iran and Syria are probably also interested in special equipment that could be applied in arms industry. "These countries have been further developing their missile and mass destruction weapons programmes. They used cover companies for the business deals with double-use products and declared the civilian use of the demanded commodities," CTK cites the BIS report.
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