烏克蘭境內北韓飛彈碎片可能暴露採購網路 (1/2)

Recently Yahoo News on-line reported the following:

Debris from North Korean missile in Ukraine could expose procurement networks (1/2)

David Brunnstrom

Thu, February 22, 2024 at 2:20 p.m. PST·3 min read

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Revelations that a North Korean missile fired by Russia in Ukraine contained a large number of components linked to U.S.-based companies underline the difficulty of enforcing sanctions against Pyongyang, but could help uncover illicit procurement networks, experts say.

Conflict Armament Research (CAR), a UK-based organization that tracks the origins of weapons used in conflicts, examined the remnants of a North Korean ballistic missile used by Russia against Ukrainian forces in Kharkiv on Jan. 2.

In a report released this week, it said it examined electronic components, including for the missile's navigation system, and found many were recently manufactured and bore the marks of companies based in the United States.

It said 75% of the components documented were "linked to companies incorporated in the United States," 16% to companies in Europe, and 11% to companies in Asia.

Date codes on the components indicated more than three quarters were produced between 2021 and 2023 and that the missile could not have been assembled before March last year, the report said.

Sanctions experts said the findings were not surprising even though for years the United States has led international efforts to restrict North Korea's ability to obtain parts and funding for its ballistic missile and nuclear weapons programs.

CAR said its findings showed both how difficult it is to control the export of commercial electronic components, and how reliant countries such as North Korea, Russia and Iran are on imported technology.

"North Korea (and Russia and Iran) are experts in avoiding U.N. and U.S. sanctions through front companies and other efforts," said Anthony Ruggiero of Washington's Foundation for Defense of Democracies think tank, who directed North Korea sanctions efforts in the Trump administration.

"While U.S. sanctions are robust on paper, sanctions must be enforced to be effective," he said, stressing the need for Washington and it allies to continually update sanctions lists and spend on enforcement.

"We are not doing either one on North Korea sanctions," he said, adding that the Biden administration particularly needed to do more to target Chinese companies, individuals, and banks aiding sanctions evasion.

(to be continued)

Translation

華盛頓（路透社） - 專家表示，俄羅斯在烏克蘭發射的北韓飛彈含有大量與美國公司有關的零件的消息凸顯了對平壤實施制裁的難度，但可能有助於揭露非法採購網路。

衝突軍備研究（CAR）是一家追蹤衝突中使用的武器來源的英國組織，該組織於 1 月 2 日在哈爾科夫檢查了俄羅斯針對烏克蘭軍隊使用的朝鮮彈道飛彈的殘餘物。

在本週發布的一份報告中，該公司表示，它檢查了包括導彈導航系統在內的電子元件，發現許多電子部件是最近製造的，並帶有美國公司的標記。

報告稱，所記錄的組件中 75% 與 “在美國註冊的公司有關” ，16% 與歐洲公司有關，11% 與亞洲公司有關。

報告稱，這些部件上的日期代碼顯示，超過四分之三的部件是在 2021 年至 2023 年期間生產的，該導彈不可能在去年 3 月之前組裝。

制裁專家表示，儘管多年來美國一直主導國際社會努力限制北韓為其彈道飛彈和核武計畫獲取零件和資金，但這項調查結果並不令人感到意外。

 CAR 表示，其調查結果顯示控制商業電子部件的出口有多麼困難，以及北韓、俄羅斯和伊朗等國家對進口技術的依賴程度。

曾負責指導特朗普政府的北韓制裁工作的華盛頓保衛民主基金會 智庫的 Anthony Ruggiero 表示：「北韓（以及俄羅斯和伊朗）是透過幌子公司和其他努力避免聯合國和美國制裁的專家」。

他說：「雖然美國的制裁在紙面上是強力的，但制裁必須得到執行才能有效。」他強調華盛頓及其盟國需要不斷更新制裁清單並在執行方面投入資金。

他說：「我們在更新制裁清單和在執行方面投入資金上, 對北韓沒有造出過任何動作」; 並補充說，拜登政府特別需要採取更多行動來針對協助逃避制裁的中國公司、個人和銀行。

（待續）