
So long as they don't find the bits in a nuclear warhead
The United Nations has decided that one of its own agencies was not guilty of breaking sanctions by exporting technology to North Korea in a bid to help the axis of evil country with its burgeoning intellectual property rights. The World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) said it had been cleared of any wrongdoing by …
The USA is always using international bodies to enforce it's policies, even if it is a failing policy.
They did it to VietNam as a result of their loss of face in losing the American War in VietNam. And the result? A country that is so self-sufficient, so resourceful, it can often do things more effectively using low-tech than high-tech. (Ever seen a ships propeller shaft turned in a manual lathe?)
Once again, the US is trying the finger in the dyke trick with North Korea. There are many countries who actually support North Korea (being an 'enemy' of the US is enough to achieve that). China is the world's manufacturing facility and China is a very big supporter of North Korea.
Even if ships don't want to be tracked entering N Korean waters, they drop ship in China and the goods go by rail.
Same with the US no-nukes (except for our friends) policy. Pakistan and India have them (and no inspections), Israeli got the materials from the USA (no inspections) and N Korea has enough to occupy it's neighbours.
I worked for a small company one of whose products included very high voltage, very high current switches that were designed as nuclear weapons triggers. Cute blue colour with lots of glass. They came in to the plant in high security vans, they were stared in the general stores, and they were carefully tracked.
But the company sure bought a lot more than it used; the surplus were shipped off to some mysterious destinations and to account for the missing units, sworn statements together with photographs were used to satisfy the US authorities. How many more operations are going on like that?
This policy is merely a small impediment that simply creates a market for those shady types who operate world wide, wheeling and dealing.
Computers are one of the easiest products to 'smuggle' since so many units are awash in today's world. It is likely there are far better computers in N Korea than this UN financed unit.
It's funny how the consensus of Iran and North Korea being some 'axis of evil' has set in to the public consciousness without being questioned. And yet if you go around using drones to blow up a goat herder's wedding whilst eating pizza in a warehouse in Fort Lauderdale you're one of the good guys.
From an alien's eye view it all looks a bit hypocritical.