Operation Weasel
Encyclopedia
Operation Weasel is the name given to an alleged secret operation involving the governments of Nauru
, New Zealand
and the United States
. The exact nature of the operation, if it did indeed exist, is subject to disagreement — most accounts link it to investigations into the sale of Nauruan passport
s, the defection of North Korean
scientists to the West, or both.
The first public mentions of Operation Weasel were made in March 2003, when The Australian
printed a story claiming that the Nauruan embassy in Beijing
was a front by which North Korean defectors could be assisted in escaping to the West. According to the report, Nauru had been approached by individuals claiming to represent the governments of New Zealand and the United States, who wished to smuggle North Korean defectors through the embassies of a third, neutral party. According to the paper, Nauru would receive cash compensation for participating, and the Nauruan embassy in Beijing would be paid for and staffed by New Zealand and United States personnel. New Zealand and United States officials were reported as denying the story.
The embassy, when it was established, was run by chargé d'affaires
Jack Sanders, a New Zealander. (The Herald also said that Sanders was wanted by police, although this has been labelled a smear campaign following an investigation by Scoop reporter Selwyn Manning http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0411/S00358.htm. He later came to public attention as a source for a controversial news story about the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service
, which was later retracted). According to the original reports in The Australian, at least twenty defectors were successfully smuggled out.
Nauru's embassies in Beijing and Washington were closed in August 2003, with the Nauruan government having been sent documents claiming that they were selling diplomatic passports. President Ludwig Scotty
stated at the time that staff were "not serving their intended purpose". Trans-Pacific Development Corporation was involved in the sale of Nauruan passports, allowing passports to fall into the hands of terrorists — according to their claims, Operation Weasel was originally a project by various agencies in New Zealand and the United States (including the US Central Intelligence Agency
) to stop these activities, and only later became a front for North Korean defections.
Nauru
Nauru , officially the Republic of Nauru and formerly known as Pleasant Island, is an island country in Micronesia in the South Pacific. Its nearest neighbour is Banaba Island in Kiribati, to the east. Nauru is the world's smallest republic, covering just...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The exact nature of the operation, if it did indeed exist, is subject to disagreement — most accounts link it to investigations into the sale of Nauruan passport
Passport
A passport is a document, issued by a national government, which certifies, for the purpose of international travel, the identity and nationality of its holder. The elements of identity are name, date of birth, sex, and place of birth....
s, the defection of North Korean
North Korean defectors
A number of individuals have defected from North Korea. Since the division of Korea after World War II and the end of the Korean War , many people have defected from North Korea, mainly for political, ideological, religious and economic reasons...
scientists to the West, or both.
The first public mentions of Operation Weasel were made in March 2003, when The Australian
The Australian
The Australian is a broadsheet newspaper published in Australia from Monday to Saturday each week since 14 July 1964. The editor in chief is Chris Mitchell, the editor is Clive Mathieson and the 'editor-at-large' is Paul Kelly....
printed a story claiming that the Nauruan embassy in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
was a front by which North Korean defectors could be assisted in escaping to the West. According to the report, Nauru had been approached by individuals claiming to represent the governments of New Zealand and the United States, who wished to smuggle North Korean defectors through the embassies of a third, neutral party. According to the paper, Nauru would receive cash compensation for participating, and the Nauruan embassy in Beijing would be paid for and staffed by New Zealand and United States personnel. New Zealand and United States officials were reported as denying the story.
The embassy, when it was established, was run by chargé d'affaires
Chargé d'affaires
In diplomacy, chargé d’affaires , often shortened to simply chargé, is the title of two classes of diplomatic agents who head a diplomatic mission, either on a temporary basis or when no more senior diplomat has been accredited.-Chargés d’affaires:Chargés d’affaires , who were...
Jack Sanders, a New Zealander. (The Herald also said that Sanders was wanted by police, although this has been labelled a smear campaign following an investigation by Scoop reporter Selwyn Manning http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0411/S00358.htm. He later came to public attention as a source for a controversial news story about the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service
New Zealand Security Intelligence Service
The New Zealand Security Intelligence Service is an intelligence agency of the New Zealand government.-Purpose:As a civilian organisation, the Security Intelligence Service takes no part in the enforcement of security...
, which was later retracted). According to the original reports in The Australian, at least twenty defectors were successfully smuggled out.
Nauru's embassies in Beijing and Washington were closed in August 2003, with the Nauruan government having been sent documents claiming that they were selling diplomatic passports. President Ludwig Scotty
Ludwig Scotty
Ludwig Derangadage Scotty is a two-time former President of the Republic of Nauru. He served as President from 29 May 2003 to 8 August 2003, then from 22 June 2004 to his ousting in a vote of no confidence on 19 December 2007....
stated at the time that staff were "not serving their intended purpose". Trans-Pacific Development Corporation was involved in the sale of Nauruan passports, allowing passports to fall into the hands of terrorists — according to their claims, Operation Weasel was originally a project by various agencies in New Zealand and the United States (including the US Central Intelligence Agency
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
) to stop these activities, and only later became a front for North Korean defections.
External links
- New Zealand Herald article
- New Zealand Herald article
- New Zealand Herald article
- Monitor.net article on Nauru, with a sidebar on Operation Weasel
- Listener article mentioning Jack Sanders
- Radio program "This American Life" featured a 30-minute story on Nauru, including Operation Weasel.
- http://www.theglobalreport.org/issues/223/worldbriefs.html