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On Monday, Panamanian authorities seized a North Korean ship after they found possible Cuban missiles on board during a bizarre search that involved the captain having a heart attack and trying to commit suicide.
Cuba now has issued a statement basically saying, “Oh yeah, those missiles? Guess those are ours. But don’t worry about it — they’re totally old.”
According to USA Today, Cuba’s foreign minister admitted that the ship has been loaded with 240 metric tons of weapons in Cuba but noted that the weapons were obsolete and had been sent to North Korea only for repair.
It said the cargo included 240 metric tons of “obsolete defensive weapons”: two Volga and Pechora anti-aircraft missile systems, nine missiles “in parts and spares,” two Mig-21 Bis and 15 engines for those airplanes.
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Though some speculate that those “repairs” could have been more like “upgrades” to bring Cuba’s Soviet-era defense system up to date. The problem is that the United Nations has banned North Korea from importing and exporting most weapons.
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