I'm not sure if this is a "safety & security" issue, but I ran across this article today on ABC News detailing the Spanish navy's involvement in Operation Enduring Freedom. Gracias por echarnos una mano, amigos...

Thank you for sharing, Cali. This is really scary, but it is heartening to see evidence that nations like Spain are working together to ameliorate this type of threat! Three cheers for the Captains and Crews of the Navarra and Patina!

Yeah, right!

But did you know that the Spanish navy had to release the ship because they received an order from Bush´s governement to release it?

It seems they intercepted a "legal" ship!!! Actually, both the US and Spain had to present their excuses to the government of Yemen.

go to http://www.europapress.es/europa2001/abierto/noticia.asp?cod=20021212134307

Yeah, I heard that...it all seemed a bit fishy to me though...scuds mixed in with cement. Quite the sundry variety of goods, eh?

I heard that in theory it was legal because the ship wasn´t flying a flag and therefore not following international maritime law. For some reason allowing more arms to be imported to an area like the middle east doesn´t sound like a good idea.

Some in the US have suggested the search was illegal, but in my opinion the War on Terror provides certain liberties, and thus "legality" is a tricky issue. Although the search may have been in violation of international law, let's face it folks, none of us probably want a SCUD missile aimed at us. Yemen is considered a US "ally" (remember the recent, successful CIA mission within its borders), but my money is on better safe than sorry ideology. I say search away...

[originally posted by Vega on 12-16-2002 11:46 AM]

Hats off to the crews of the Spanish Frigate Navarra and the supply ship Patino for tracking down a Korean ship carrying 15 scud missiles to Yemen. That's fifteen less missiles we all have to worry about. Moreover, capturing a ship like this is extra sweet for Spain in particular. For, it was pirates that terrorized Spanish boats in the Atlantic and Carribean back during the Spanish/Americas colonial days. The British Navy had even hired pirates to raid Spanish ships. Well, at least these pirates didn't get away! The Spanish Navy just got one back.

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~~~Podes Adelante~~~

Whenever someone tells me that Yemen is our ally, I just smile and remind them of the old adage;

"Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer."

Wolf

Indeed! The corrupt regimes of the Middle East are certainly in a precarious position. On one hand they have a volatile populace, increasingly militant, and disgusted with their leaders, and on the other they must play international power politics. Like the House of Saud, most Middle East nations have become (or always were) two headed monsters. One head deals with their people, and the other with Europe, the US, Japan, and the like. As Wolf writes, Yemen may be an "ally" on paper, but we'd be naive to think they're our friends.

If ALL the arms shipments in the region were stopped, that might be newsworthy.

http://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/16/international/16MILI.html Here´s an article of interest.