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CNN Live At Daybreak
Intercepted Ship Now in Control of U.S.
Aired December 11, 2002 - 07:07 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Straight away to Madrid right now, about an hour ago, we were listening and eavesdropping on a press briefing there taking place.
CNN's Al Goodman now up with us live to talk more about that.
What did we learn today through Spanish authorities?
AL GOODMAN, CNN MADRID BUREAU CHIEF: Bill, the defense minister, Frederico Trillo, of Spain has told CNN that the ship has been passed from the Spanish frigate, which intercepted it on Monday at gunpoint. It has this day on Wednesday been passed in international waters to control of a U.S. admiral and U.S. forces, which are going to take it, the defense minister told us, to Diego Garcia, the place where there are many, many Americans stationed. So, that is new information.
We did not know where the ship was actually heading. There had been reports that it was heading to Yemen. The defense minister wouldn't say where this cargo of explosives and Scud missiles was going, but now we know where the ship is going. It's going to Diego Garcia.
This being described, Bill, as an operation that started last Thursday with U.S. intelligence tipping off this Spanish frigate that was the lead vessel in a multinational force patrolling the waters there that this ship, the So San, was coming its way. The interception happened on Monday. The ship tried to get away. The Spanish frigate had to fire shots, had to board it at gunpoint by helicopter.
They started to discover that there was a lot more than cement on board. That's what the captain said, I'm just carrying cement. In fact, underneath all of these bags of cement were these weapons, the defense minister saying 15 Scud missiles and a variety of other explosives -- Bill.
HEMMER: Al, did they say the nationalities of the crew on board that ship?
GOODMAN: Yes. The nationality of the 21 crewmembers -- the captain and the crewmembers, 21 in total -- is North Korean, and there was resistance. The defense minister said the frigate, the Spanish frigate commander, who was out there thought that there would be resistance, and he got permission from coalition forces to use force if necessary.
Now, those 21 are aboard the ship with the Americans, we are being told, heading towards Diego Garcia at this time with that cargo.
The sequence: Once the Spaniards came on board on Monday and they discovered the initial explosives, they brought the Americans aboard on Tuesday. Now, we are being told, there has been a thorough examination of the ship, and also measures taken to make sure it doesn't blow up with all of these explosives. And now, they're going to take it into port -- Bill.
HEMMER: Good reporting. Al, thanks -- Al Goodman there in Madrid. Barbara Starr at the Pentagon with us today.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
Aired December 11, 2002 - 07:07 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Straight away to Madrid right now, about an hour ago, we were listening and eavesdropping on a press briefing there taking place.
CNN's Al Goodman now up with us live to talk more about that.
What did we learn today through Spanish authorities?
AL GOODMAN, CNN MADRID BUREAU CHIEF: Bill, the defense minister, Frederico Trillo, of Spain has told CNN that the ship has been passed from the Spanish frigate, which intercepted it on Monday at gunpoint. It has this day on Wednesday been passed in international waters to control of a U.S. admiral and U.S. forces, which are going to take it, the defense minister told us, to Diego Garcia, the place where there are many, many Americans stationed. So, that is new information.
We did not know where the ship was actually heading. There had been reports that it was heading to Yemen. The defense minister wouldn't say where this cargo of explosives and Scud missiles was going, but now we know where the ship is going. It's going to Diego Garcia.
This being described, Bill, as an operation that started last Thursday with U.S. intelligence tipping off this Spanish frigate that was the lead vessel in a multinational force patrolling the waters there that this ship, the So San, was coming its way. The interception happened on Monday. The ship tried to get away. The Spanish frigate had to fire shots, had to board it at gunpoint by helicopter.
They started to discover that there was a lot more than cement on board. That's what the captain said, I'm just carrying cement. In fact, underneath all of these bags of cement were these weapons, the defense minister saying 15 Scud missiles and a variety of other explosives -- Bill.
HEMMER: Al, did they say the nationalities of the crew on board that ship?
GOODMAN: Yes. The nationality of the 21 crewmembers -- the captain and the crewmembers, 21 in total -- is North Korean, and there was resistance. The defense minister said the frigate, the Spanish frigate commander, who was out there thought that there would be resistance, and he got permission from coalition forces to use force if necessary.
Now, those 21 are aboard the ship with the Americans, we are being told, heading towards Diego Garcia at this time with that cargo.
The sequence: Once the Spaniards came on board on Monday and they discovered the initial explosives, they brought the Americans aboard on Tuesday. Now, we are being told, there has been a thorough examination of the ship, and also measures taken to make sure it doesn't blow up with all of these explosives. And now, they're going to take it into port -- Bill.
HEMMER: Good reporting. Al, thanks -- Al Goodman there in Madrid. Barbara Starr at the Pentagon with us today.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
