US analysts: 'North Korea can produce tons of biological weapons'

(Baonghean.vn) - The Washington Post reported on December 10 that US analysts have raised concerns about the possibility that North Korea is pursuing an industrial-scale production program of biological pathogens that could be used to threaten neighboring countries and US soldiers.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Photo: AP

The report, citing US and Asian intelligence officials, said Pyongyang was moving toward gaining access to machinery used in the program and “factories capable of producing microbes by the ton.”

“So in many ways, North Korea has been known to possess (biological) substances,” said a US official. “The question has long been why they have acquired the materials and developed the science, but have not yet produced weapons?”

The report also included images from 2015, when North Korean leader Kim Jong-un toured the Pyongyang Biotech Institute. North Korea called the facility a possible aid to its agriculture, but the images have raised concerns among some US officials.

“It is difficult to avoid the conclusion that this institute intends to produce military-scale anthrax,” said Melissa Hanham, a North Korea expert.

Meanwhile, South Korean officials announced that the country has added several North Korean groups and individuals to its sanctions list, as part of ongoing efforts to cut off funding for the country's weapons program./.

Lan Ha

(According to Fox News)