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A lot of this seems funny to me. Immediately after the attack, before the Malaysians had even publicly named the victim, South Korean media was already reporti

A lot of this seems funny to me. Immediately after the attack, before the Malaysians had even publicly named the victim, South Korean media was already reporting his identity, the cause of death (poisoning) and that it was carried out by two females. Going further, and without any evidence, they establish and spread the story that they were agents of North Korea. Malaysian authorities do not release the CCTV footage, but Japanese media somehow comes into possession of it and broadcasts it, while a Japanese journalist claims Kim Jong Nam was recently warned about criticising North Korea. The people who carried out the attack were Vietnamese and Indonesian, not North Korean, and one of them claims she met with someone who looked Japanese or Korean. This could mean North or South Korean. The Malaysians say VX killed the victim, yet nobody else was affected. The last time North Korea was accused (by South Korea) of attempting to kill Kim Jong Nam, it was no more convoluted than trying to hire a taxi driver to run him over. Yet now they're using "binary concoction" VX (ah, now we're back to discussing WMDs again), involving multiple assassins, and choosing the absolute worst location possible, a public space crawling with witnesses and armed security guards and covered by CCTV?

pvg 10y ago
There's a North Korean suspect in custody and Malaysian authorities have named, have CC footage of and are looking for several others. It doesn't seem as mysterious as you make it out.
- tyingq 10y ago
  Interesting note on the North Korean suspect, Ri Jong Chol, that's in custody: "He said Ri has a degree in software engineering from the Kim Cheak University of Technology in North Korea and that Ri had wanted to open his own IT business in Malaysia" So...one of our own. source: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/kim-jong-nam-death-how-the-arrest-of-a-north-korean-suspect-went/3538592.html http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/kim-jong-nam...
  - pvg 10y ago
    Heh, there was a report earlier on he was educated as a chemist because, of course he was. This Reuters report http://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-malaysia-kim-suspect-idUSKBN1601FE http://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-malaysia-kim-su... makes it sound like it's much less clear who the hell he is. Some guy who was living in Malaysia and maybe they didn't mind burning all that much? Who knows.
- quirkafleeg 10y ago
  > North Korean suspect in custody Yes they've arrested a North Korean, along with a Malaysian, Indonesian and Vietnamese, in an investigation into the murder of a North Korean. > and Malaysian authorities have named, have CC footage of What is this supposed to prove? On the day the half-brother of the North Korean leader was killed, some North Koreans based in Malaysia were unexpectedly recalled by Pyongyang to report on it and, like everyone else leaving KUL that day, appeared on airport CCTV?
  - pvg 10y ago
    On the day the half-brother of the North Korean leader was killed, some North Koreans based in Malaysia were unexpectedly recalled by Pyongyang to report on it That's not what the reporting says, neither does the Malaysian police. You should read the coverage, a lot of what you've listed as evidence for this being something other than what it appears to be is simply inaccurate.
    - quirkafleeg 10y ago
      The point of my post was to show there are completely legit reasons why they may have left that day, whereas it's simply being painted by the media as them fleeing the scene. If you have evidence that proves they were involved and my suggested reason they left is "simply inaccurate" I'd like to see it. News reports are not evidence though.
      - pvg 10y ago
        Wait, you're asking me for evidence? I think it's the other way round - on my side are the stated views of the Malaysian authorities conducting the actual investigation, the fact that China has sanctioned North Korea, basic common sense (there's no such thing as a government-independent North Korean simply living in Kuala Lumpur period, let alone one who is connected to the murder), the use of a poison typically only available to state actors, etc. You have: a bunch of unfounded contrarian speculation. What's your evidence?
        10y ago
djsumdog 10y ago
It makes no sense for North Korea to carry out such a public attack in an airport when they are already viewed so poorly as being a totalitarian state with a slave economy. They're corrupt, but they're not stupid. This seems state sponsored, and considering all the conflicting reports, and various news releases is various countries, I doubt we'll ever know who really killed him. In 30 years, declassified documents may even point to the US's CIA. After all the US did cause the 73 coupe in Chile, Bay of Pigs, Iranian Contras, the instalment of the Shah in Iran, MKUltra .. it would make sense that a State (US, South Korea, Japan?) sponsored this and did it because they want another war.
- maxerickson 10y ago
  What is it North Korea would lose by carrying out such an attack? The DPRK already basically holds the people hostage for the aid they do get, so I'm not sure what further sanctions would be forthcoming from this.
  - quirkafleeg 10y ago
    Why would they even bother denying it then, in that case? There's no advantage to North Korea of doing such an unnecessarily complicated and risky assassination in such a public and relatively secure place, when they could do it anywhere else, using any other weapon. There is an obvious motivation for countries hostile to North Korea to so publicly frame them for this though, and bring up the issue of WMDs, particularly a week or so after their latest missle launch. We'll probably never know what really happened, but just because North Korea is a bad place doesn't mean we should automatically accept everything they're accused of.
    - merpnderp 10y ago
      The current leader executed his uncle with an anti-aircraft gun. I think the natural human tendency towards pique and irrationality more than explains away the obvious flaws in the plan.
    - maxerickson 10y ago

pvg 10y ago

There's a North Korean suspect in custody and Malaysian authorities have named, have CC footage of and are looking for several others. It doesn't seem as mysterious as you make it out.

tyingq 10y ago
Interesting note on the North Korean suspect, Ri Jong Chol, that's in custody: "He said Ri has a degree in software engineering from the Kim Cheak University of Technology in North Korea and that Ri had wanted to open his own IT business in Malaysia" So...one of our own. source: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/kim-jong-nam-death-how-the-arrest-of-a-north-korean-suspect-went/3538592.html http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/kim-jong-nam...
- pvg 10y ago
  Heh, there was a report earlier on he was educated as a chemist because, of course he was. This Reuters report http://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-malaysia-kim-suspect-idUSKBN1601FE http://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-malaysia-kim-su... makes it sound like it's much less clear who the hell he is. Some guy who was living in Malaysia and maybe they didn't mind burning all that much? Who knows.
quirkafleeg 10y ago
> North Korean suspect in custody Yes they've arrested a North Korean, along with a Malaysian, Indonesian and Vietnamese, in an investigation into the murder of a North Korean. > and Malaysian authorities have named, have CC footage of What is this supposed to prove? On the day the half-brother of the North Korean leader was killed, some North Koreans based in Malaysia were unexpectedly recalled by Pyongyang to report on it and, like everyone else leaving KUL that day, appeared on airport CCTV?
- pvg 10y ago
  On the day the half-brother of the North Korean leader was killed, some North Koreans based in Malaysia were unexpectedly recalled by Pyongyang to report on it That's not what the reporting says, neither does the Malaysian police. You should read the coverage, a lot of what you've listed as evidence for this being something other than what it appears to be is simply inaccurate.
  - quirkafleeg 10y ago
    The point of my post was to show there are completely legit reasons why they may have left that day, whereas it's simply being painted by the media as them fleeing the scene. If you have evidence that proves they were involved and my suggested reason they left is "simply inaccurate" I'd like to see it. News reports are not evidence though.
    - pvg 10y ago
      Wait, you're asking me for evidence? I think it's the other way round - on my side are the stated views of the Malaysian authorities conducting the actual investigation, the fact that China has sanctioned North Korea, basic common sense (there's no such thing as a government-independent North Korean simply living in Kuala Lumpur period, let alone one who is connected to the murder), the use of a poison typically only available to state actors, etc. You have: a bunch of unfounded contrarian speculation. What's your evidence?
      - 10y ago

djsumdog 10y ago

It makes no sense for North Korea to carry out such a public attack in an airport when they are already viewed so poorly as being a totalitarian state with a slave economy. They're corrupt, but they're not stupid. This seems state sponsored, and considering all the conflicting reports, and various news releases is various countries, I doubt we'll ever know who really killed him. In 30 years, declassified documents may even point to the US's CIA. After all the US did cause the 73 coupe in Chile, Bay of Pigs, Iranian Contras, the instalment of the Shah in Iran, MKUltra .. it would make sense that a State (US, South Korea, Japan?) sponsored this and did it because they want another war.

maxerickson 10y ago
What is it North Korea would lose by carrying out such an attack? The DPRK already basically holds the people hostage for the aid they do get, so I'm not sure what further sanctions would be forthcoming from this.
- quirkafleeg 10y ago
  Why would they even bother denying it then, in that case? There's no advantage to North Korea of doing such an unnecessarily complicated and risky assassination in such a public and relatively secure place, when they could do it anywhere else, using any other weapon. There is an obvious motivation for countries hostile to North Korea to so publicly frame them for this though, and bring up the issue of WMDs, particularly a week or so after their latest missle launch. We'll probably never know what really happened, but just because North Korea is a bad place doesn't mean we should automatically accept everything they're accused of.
  - merpnderp 10y ago
    The current leader executed his uncle with an anti-aircraft gun. I think the natural human tendency towards pique and irrationality more than explains away the obvious flaws in the plan.
  - maxerickson 10y ago