Seized scud missiles released to Yemen

Yemeni foreign ministry officials said tonight the shipment of North Korean-made Scud missiles seized by the US navy at gun point had been freed and was headed for port in Yemen.

The officials said the shipment was released after high-level contact between Yemen and the United States.

The official Saba news agency said the United States had assured Yemen that the shipment would be released as long as the Yemen-North Korea deal was concluded on legal basis.

“US Vice President Dick Cheney told Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh that President George Bush ordered the shipment to be returned,” Saba reported.

The Bush administration in August imposed sanctions on the North Korean company Changgwang Sinyong for selling Scud missile parts to Yemen.

At that time, US authorities asked Yemen why it bought the parts The Yemenis apologised and promised not to do so again, two defence officials said in Washington today.

Under the US sanctions, Changgwang Sinyong will be barred for two years from obtaining new individual export licences through the Commerce or State departments for any controlled items. The sanctions have little practical effect, one official said, because there is so little commerce between the United States and North Korea.