USA/DJIBOUTI: UNITED STATES AGREES TO RELEASE A SEIZED NORTH KOREAN SHIP CARRYING SCUD MISSILESWHICH YEMEN SAYS ARE BOUND FOR ITS ARMY

Record ID: 964707

  • Title: USA/DJIBOUTI: UNITED STATES AGREES TO RELEASE A SEIZED NORTH KOREAN SHIP CARRYING SCUD MISSILESWHICH YEMEN SAYS ARE BOUND FOR ITS ARMY
  • Date: 11th December 2002
  • Summary: (W6) WASHINGTON, D.C., USA (DECEMBER 11, 2002) (POOL - ACCESS ALL) 1. MV: U.S. WHITE HOUSE SPOKESMAN ARI FLEISCHER ARRIVING FOR WHITE HOUSE BRIEFING 0.06 2. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (English) FLEISCHER SAYING: "This has been a very successful coalition interdiction effort that took place in the Arabian Sea. We became aware of the departure of a ship from North Korea that was carrying what we believed to be weapons of concern. This was a nonflagged vessel which gave us further concern. And the vessel was destined for Yemen. We had a concern about what was on it, we had a concern before ascertaining indeed that it was going to Yemen that it may have been heading for a nation that is a potential terrorist nation. As a result, the action that was taken when the ship was stopped and boarded and I can report to you now, as this matter has been discussed with Yemeni officials, Secretary Powell has spoken with Yemeni authorities, the Vice President has done so as well. We have looked at this matter thoroughly. There is no provision under international law prohibiting Yemen from accepting delivery of missiles from North Korea. While there is authority to stop and search, in this instance there is no clear authority to seize the shipment of Scud missiles from North Korea to Yemen, and therefore the merchant vessel is being released." 1.22 3. MV: REPORTERS LISTEN TO REMARKS 1.27 (W8) WASHINGTON, D.C., USA (DECEMBER 11, 2002) (NBC - NO ACCESS USA/CNN/INTERNET) 4. WIDE OF STATE DEPARTMENT LUNCHEON 1.34 5. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE COLIN POWELL SAYING: "At the same time we recognized that it was going to a country that we have good relations with, and after a flurry of phone calls and after getting assurances directly from the President of Yemen, President Saleh that this was the last of a group of shipments that go back some years and have been contracted for some years ago, this would be the end of it, and we had assurances that these missiles were for Yemeni defensive purposes and under no circumstances would they be going anywhere else. And on that basis and also acknowledgement of the fact that it was on international water and that it was a sale that was out in the open and consistent with international law, a little while ago we directed the ship to continue to its destination." 2.26 (U6) DJIBOUTI (DECEMBER 11, 2002) (POOL - ACCESS ALL) 6. SV: U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENCE DONALD RUMSFELD EXITS MEETING WITH DJIBOUTI PRESIDENT ISMAIL OMAR GUELLEH 2.38 7. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE DONALD RUMSFELD SAYING: "Well, North Korea doesn't like to hear me say it, but they continue to be the single largest proliferator of ballistic missile technology on the face of the earth. And, they are putting into the hands of many countries technologies and capabilities which have potential for killing tens and hundreds of thousands of people." 3.09 8. SCU: CUTAWAY OF DJIBOUTI OFFICIAL 3.12 9. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (English) RUMSFELD SAYING: "There are places that the missiles could have been headed that were clearly illegal." 3.20 10. SV: RUMSFELD WALKING INTO HANGAR FOR SPEECH 3.33 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 25th December 2002 12:00
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  • Location: WASHINGTON, D.C., USA AND DJIBOUTI
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  • Country: Djibouti USA United States
  • Reuters ID: LVAA9GNEXZDK7RA70MER2PWJP9IL
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  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS - SOURCE TO BE VERIFIED
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2014. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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