Cuba has admitted to being behind a stash of weapons found on board a North Korean ship seized in the Panama Canal.
According to Aljazeera.com:
“Cuba has said a North Korean cargo ship seized in Panama was loaded at one of its ports with 10,000 tons of sugar and 240 tons of ‘obsolete defensive weaponry.’
“The Cuban foreign ministry said in a statement on Wednesday that the Soviet-era weapons were being sent to North Korea for repair and included two anti-aircraft batteries, nine disassembled rockets, and two MiG-21 aircraft.
‘”The agreements Cuba has signed in these areas are based on our need to maintain our defensive capacity to protect national sovereignty,’ the statement said.
“The Chong Chon Gang was detained on Tuesday after Panamanian authorities detected what appeared to be ballistic missiles and other arms, Ricardo Martinelli, the country’s president, has said.
“The crew rioted and the captain reportedly had a heart attack and then tried to commit suicide when the ship was boarded as it approached the Atlantic entrance to the Panama Canal.
“Javier Caraballo, Panama’s top anti-drugs prosecutor, said the cargo ship was en route to North Korea.”
‘Historical ties’
The BBC reports:
“Relations between North Korea and Cuba, both communist countries, are considered close. A high-level military delegation from North Korea visited at the end of June and was received by Cuban President Raul Castro.
“Cuban media said they discussed ‘the historical ties that unite the two nations and the common will to continue strengthening them.'”
