The United States is accusing China of supplying components for North Korea's missile program. This is related to efforts to recover debris from North Korea's failed rocket launch in April, which fell into the sea off the coast of South Korea. If Chinese components are identified, it could cause problems, as China has agreed to abide by embargos on North Korea. However, Chinese firms often ignore the government and sell to whoever buys. China will likely deny knowledge or claim components were dual-use. It will take diplomacy to force China to truly crack down on these sales. The US also accused China of selling North Korea a large truck that was later seen carrying a missile; the Chinese company admitted the sale but said the truck

1. CHINA AND THE DUAL USE
SCAM: SOUTH KOREA GROUP
OF SPRINGHILL

2. April 26, 2012: The United States is openly accusing China of supplying North Korea’s
missile program with components and technology. This may have something to do with intense
effort to recover components of the failed North Korean rocket launch on April 13th. The debris
of the rocket fell into shallow water off the west coast of South Korea. Russian, Chinese, and
American ships, and perhaps submarines, also joined the search. South Korea called off its search
on the 17th but the U.S. appeared to be continuing. The water where the debris fell is no deeper
than 100 meters (310 feet), making it easy to search for and recover parts of the rocket. If some of
those recovered components can be identified as Chinese there could be problems. China has
agreed to abide by embargos on North Korea, but Chinese firms are notorious for ignoring their
government and just selling to whoever will buy. Ignoring this behavior is not official Chinese
policy but accepting bribes to look the other way is a long accepted Chinese practice. If the U.S.
or South Korea recover Chinese rocket components from the ocean floor China will simply deny
any knowledge of Chinese firms selling rocket components to North Korea, or claim that the
rocket components were dual use (which could be technically true). China may even agree to
prosecute errant firms but these prosecutions are mainly for show. That approach has worked for
years and it will take some hard-ball, behind-the-scenes diplomacy to force the Chinese
government to act. That sometimes works but usually not for long.
The U.S. also accused China of selling North Korea a large transport vehicle that the
North Koreans modified to carry their latest long-range missile in an April 15th parade. The
Chinese truck manufacturer eventually admitted this and said it was not illegal because the truck
was designed to haul non-military cargo but, as is the case with many “dual-use” technologies,
could easily be adapted to military use. The Chinese manufacturer added that the truck in
question was an excellent vehicle and there were many satisfied users.

3. SOUTH KOREA GROUP OF
SPRINGHILL: OMAHA TIME
CAPSULE: CHURCH HIT BY
EXPLOSION

4. What happened in the Midlands on this day? Here’s a sampling from the World-Herald
archives.
ST. PETER’S CHURCH HIT BY EXPLOSION
March 31, 1936: Dozens of windows were shattered in surrounding buildings and a
number of persons were knocked off their feet by a terrific blast in the boiler room of St. Peter
church. Firemen think gas accumulated in the flue, ignited and exploded. No damage was done to
the furnace and boiler. Carl Schrattenberger, engineer, who was firing the boiler at the time,
escaped without injury. He was hurled 15 feet. Persons in the vicinity said a huge cloud of smoke
rolled out of the chimney. The force of the blast was felt up to six blocks away.
1964: Representatives of city employees’ unions said the proposed $338,000 increase
in the city’s pay plan was not enough. The unions recommended, instead, an increase of at least
10 percent. The proposal sent to the Personnel Board by Personnel Director Ernest W. Howard
called for an annual increase of about 5 percent. It would give raises to about 80 percent of the
city’s 1,700 employees.
1987: People wanting to establish a day shelter for the homeless would be required to
obtain a city permit under a proposal to be reviewed by the City Planning Board. The board also
would consider a redevelopment plan for the Lackawanna leather-processing plant a 2420 Z St.
The plan called for the city to provide a $250,000 tax-increment loan to help expand the plant.
The homeless shelter permit proposal came from City Councilman Walt Calinger. He said the city
needed to have some controls over the establishment of shelters.
1996: The gypsy-moth spraying in the previous May that cost the City of Bellevue
$15,000 seemed to have taken care of the moth infestation. Only one male moth was found in
traps set during the summer. “We’re looking real good there,” said Stephen Johnson, an