Yemen Protests Seizure of North Korean Ship; Says Scuds Were Bound for Its Army

With the US and other world powers on high alert due to the tension in Iraq, arms shipments into and out of the Middle East are an extremely sensitive topic. As reported today in the New York Times, "Yemen said today that Scud missiles found on a North Korean ship were destined for its army, and issued formal protests over the vessel's seizure to the United States and Spain." Given North Korea's recent declaration of a nuclear weapons program, its credibility with the US and Europeans is already on shaky ground. And with Yemen's government accused of not being able to maintain order and keep Al Qaeda terrorists from hiding out in its remote desert regions, the arms shipment between the two countries has made the US military wary of the country's claim that the shipment was for Yemen's own defensive needs. – YaleGlobal