The North Korean Embassy Raid

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-spain-northkorea-usa/us-arrests-former-marine-connected-to-north-korea-embassy-raid-in-spain-idUSKCN1RV1AJ

 https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/us-authorities-make-first-arrest-in-mysterious-raid-of-north-koreas-embassy-in-spain/2019/04/19/bfee15e2-d984-4600-9b63-14270f9b0bb3_story.html?utm_term=.8c6ecd3a93e4

I've been watching the news since this story broke back in February but the story seems to have faded away. Why did a North Korean embassy in Spain become subject to a raid? What was this episode about? The basic questions are still largely unanswered.

Was it conducted by members of Free Joseon?  But just who and what is Free Joseon? It doesn't take long before the CIA comes into the picture and indeed groups like Free Joseon have long been a tool in the hand of Langley. Either directly founded by the CIA or supported by it, such dissident and paramilitary groups have long been assets of Washington.

Was this raid done in conjunction with the South Korean government or at the behest of its intelligence agencies? Well, this too is complicated by the simple fact that the South Korean military-intelligence Establishment is closely wed to the United States, even dominated by it.

This is not to say that there aren't factions and elements within these organisations outside of US purview, let alone the fact that these elements can sometimes go rogue.

Thus, the sources of both Free Joseon and this raid in particular remain in the shadows and most likely will remain there. Until more is revealed we're left with speculation, but speculation that can be grounded in present realities and historical precedent.

Some have tried to deny this raid could be the result of direct US government orders. They would point to the FBI return of stolen materials. Obviously the US didn't want any part of it, right?

The return of materials is meaningless. They could have been examined and copied. The same thing happens when the US, China or any other nation gets a hold of a fighter jet, drone or other piece of military technology. They hang on to it as long as they can and study it... and then return it.

There's another possible angle to this story which will prove familiar to some.

The raid might have been a CIA sponsored action and thus the FBI-CIA dynamic would come into play. The invitation of the FBI would have created a conflict.... a conflict that has reared its head on numerous occasions wherein US government agencies are working at cross purposes. The episode is strange and it must be admitted that CIA actors would be unlikely to turn over their materials to the FBI.

Is Free Joseon just a bumbling group of Koreans, perhaps divided in their goals and tactics? Again, the evidence seems to suggest they're not dissident North Koreans... but then, who are they? Was this an ad hoc group created for a specific task that then fragmented and the post-raid happenings represent a breakdown in orders and purpose? These are all things to consider.

There have been arrests.... but little action. The players may or may not be cleared. They may receive token punishments and be quietly released at a convenient time. It depends on who is willing to get involved. Will the 'higher ups' in the CIA (or South Korean intelligence) be willing to put their cards on the table in order to exert influence?

The timing of the raid is very interesting and I think quite salient to the overall understanding of the issue. There's been a lot of rather curiously timed events over the past couple of years.... suspiciously so.

In this case it played a role in subverting the summit talks and the trust required for them to proceed. It indicates the possibility of a Deep State faction exercising resistance to US-DPRK diplomacy.

Or perhaps a desperate attempt to acquire some information.... either crucial to the negotiations... or bent on breaking them.

There are other possibilities of course. This may have something to do with Spain itself, something that has yet to be disclosed.

It's worth noting that IntelNews and other outlets are working hard to spin the story, to place the focus on DPRK factionalism vis-à-vis their criminal enterprises, their dark deeds they engage in to finance Pyongyang's ambitions.

It's amusing and demonstrates that these outlets are solidly in the Western camp. It is well known that the CIA is deeply invested in the criminal enterprise. There is a long history of this but it's largely ignored and rarely if ever explored.