U.S. to release Scud ship to Yemen

MSNBC | 12/11/02

[Mat_Helm]

Fill the hold with water, stir or mix, whallah concrete encased scuds. Cut ship open for removal of cargo!

"Abdul becareful with that jack hammer you fool until we locate the warhead end of the block!"

50 years ago the Germans would have just sunk the ship. Come to think of it Halsey or Nimitz would have sunk the ship first and jammed the budha heads radio transmission as the freighter went to the bottm.

[steve86]

No doubt covert tracking devices were installed -- or, if there was time, inconspicuously defective parts may have been substituted for critical small items. Or maybe a pack of "Saddam Cigarettes" was inserted for some hapless missile operator to enjoy at a later time.

[Henchman]

Perhaps the Yemanites figured out a way to get free SCUDS...after all they initially denied ownership.

[Tommyjo]

I agree, a different firing azimuth for Israel to defend, potentially reducing the effectiveness of the Arrow radars. But now that we know, we can provide another PAC-3 battery to Israel to cover this flank attack.

"I at first thought this was a dumb idea, to let them go, but if we are not ready to take on the whole of the Middle East then its probably enough that we caught them (or that Spain caught them, if not for Spain did we know?)

We can use this to add Yeman to our list for later."

Yemen has operates and used Scud variants since the 1980's. They also operate the shorter range SS-21 Scarab supplied by the Soviets. The ship was boarded by the Spanish at the request of the US. The International flotilla stationed in the region is part of Enduring Freedom. Yemen has an ongoing fued with Eritrea over disputed islands and these SS-21s and SS-1s are used and kept as a bit of a prestige weapon.

[KC_for_Freedom]

Thank you for the information.

I take it that you don't believe Yeman a threat to us or Israel. Then what is the explanation for the subterfuge?

[Celtic Conservative]

Just a thought:

What if the missiles are being tracked?,you know let 'em go and see where they end up. Sorta like the millenium falcon in Star Wars.

From the "wild irresponsible musings" file Slainte,

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CC

[patriot5186]

I agree. They should have deep sixed it and then there would be less SCUDs in the world to worry about.
The US is out of their minds to let this go.

[Tommyjo]

"I take it that you don't believe Yeman a threat to us or Israel. Then what is the explanation for the subterfuge?"

The Yemeni Scuds, even in their later variants, don't have the range to hit Israel. The current regime in Yemen was keen to exploit its relations with the US.

"WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The United States hopes to train Yemeni special operations forces to seek out potential terrorists as the Bush administration eyes expanding its campaign against terrorism outside Afghanistan, State Department and Yemeni officials tell CNN.

The subject was discussed during a visit this week to Washington by Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, during which he discussed growing U.S.-Yemeni cooperation with President Bush and other senior administration officials.

"We hope we are turning a corner with the Yemenis," one State Department official said Wednesday, adding that Saleh was warmly received due to his apparent eagerness to help the administration.

The U.S. believes that al Qaeda terrorist cells are operating within Yemen, and administration officials worry that those cells could become more active after al Qaeda is driven from Afghanistan by the U.S. military campaign against the Taliban.

"We are trying to make sure Yemen is not the new base for Afghanistan," this official said.

U.S. and Yemeni officials said cooperation is being stepped up on both intelligence sharing and security.

One State Department official said the U.S. hoped to begin training of special Yemeni forces "immediately."

A Yemeni official dismissed concerns that Yemen could ever be the next base for al Qaeda but told CNN that his government was "ready to do its best" to cooperate with the United States.

He added that Yemen would be willing to have its forces trained by U.S. personnel.

"We are working with the U.S. to identify how we can do this," he said, adding that Yemen wanted its forces to receive the best training available."

The reason for the subterfuge was the fact that Yemen had made an agreement with the US not to buy further missiles from North Korea. Yemen would be desperate to replace their old stock of Soviet early variant Scuds for new build airframes. The previous North Korean Scud delivery was back in 2000.