North Korean Scuds on way to Yemen

Is this a surprise?



http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2564155.stm


Ship intercepted carrying missiles


About a dozen Scud-type missiles were reportedly found

A ship has been intercepted in the Indian Ocean carrying Scud-type missiles, US defence officials have said.
The vessel was reportedly on its way from North Korea, and believed to be heading to Yemen.

It was stopped by two Spanish warships patrolling in the area and US explosives experts were called in after the discovery of cargo not on the manifest.

Twenty containers were found concealed under 40,000 sacks of cement.

They were said to be full of missiles, warheads, rocket motors and fuel cells.

US intelligence had been tracking the vessel closely before it was stopped and boarded about 960 kilometres (600 miles) east of the Horn of Africa, officials said.

North Korea has been described by President George W Bush as being part of an "axis of evil", while Yemen has been accused by the US of harbouring "terrorists" in the wake of the 11 September attacks.

However Yemen's Government has co-operated with the US in its declared war against global terror.

Regional tour

The boarding of the ship comes as US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is touring the region.

After visits to Eritrea and neighbouring Ethiopia he is to go on to Djibouti, where several hundred US troops have been training in preparation for possible strikes against militants.

Last month, the US killed six "dangerous" al-Qaeda suspects in Yemen, when an unmanned aircraft operated by the CIA fired a missile destroying a car.

The men were said to have been responsible for the bombing of a US warship in Aden harbour two years ago.