US 'escalating' spy flights over North Korea, 160 flights in April

Published: May 01, 2006
Source: www.dailytimes.com.pk



North Korea has accused the US of stepping up its reconnaissance overflights last month.

The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said Saturday that US spy planes, including U-2s, had flown an average of more than five missions a day over North Korean airspace during April, totalling 160 sorties for the month.

A closer look at earlier data, however, paints a totally different picture; In the past six months North Korea repeatedly accused the US of conducting 180 to 190 espionage flights a month over its territory, with 210 reported for last November.

April's 160 flights thus suggests the complete opposite, and could very well indicate a shift in espionage activity to other regions of the world, like the Middle East.continue..