Iran secretly helped N. Korean launch

Special to WorldTribune.com

WASHINGTON — Congress has determined that Iran shelved efforts to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile despite evidence Teheran is working with other nations’ missile programs.

The Congressional Research Service concluded that Iran would not develop
an ICBM by 2015, an assessment reached earlier by the U.S. intelligence community.

However, Iranian missile experts secretly collaborated with North Korea’s recent missile launch, East-Asia-Intel.com reported in its Dec. 12 edition.

“Identifiable cars have been spotted traveling back and forth from the quarters to the missile launch site” at Tongchang-ri, according to the report which cited Seoul’s Chosun-Ilbo newspaper.

“We believe they’re carrying Iranian experts,” an official added.

In its report, CRS said Teheran, with the largest inventory in the
Middle East, might never have launched plans for a ballistic missile that could reach the United States.

“It is increasingly uncertain whether Iran will be able to achieve an
ICBM capability by 2015,” the report, titled “Iran’s Ballistic Missile and Space Launch Programs,” said.

North Korea apparently invited Iranian missile experts to help with technical problems after an earlier attempt in April ended in failure, according to the East-Asia-Intel report.

“It appears that the connection between the North and Iran in missile [development] dating back to the 1980s is more extensive than previously believed,” it said.

The North carried out a surprise long-range rocket launch on Dec. 12, moving a step forward in the nation’s goal of mastering the technology needed to build an intercontinental ballistic missile.

Since 1999, the U.S. intelligence community asserted that Teheran was
seeking to expand its intermediate-range missiles to those of ICBM, or about
5,500 kilometers. The intelligence assessment said Teheran, with such
allies as China, North Korea and Russia, would need foreign assistance for
such a project.

“With sufficient foreign assistance, Iran may be technically capable of
flight-testing an intercontinental ballistic missile by 2015,” the Defense
Department said in its 2012 annual report on Iran.

But in a 66-page report dated Dec. 6, CRS said Iran was probably not
receiving sufficient amount of help from China and Russia to develop an
ICBM. Author Steven Hildreth, who consulted outside specialists, said
Teheran was struggling with the development of rocket motors.

Officials said the CRS report represented differing views by the
16-member U.S. intelligence community.

“Iran has found it increasingly difficult to acquire certain critical components and materials because of sanctions, and Iran has not demonstrated the kind of flight test program many view as necessary to produce an ICBM.”