TOKYO, Dec 13 Kyodo Yemen told Ja...

TOKYO, Dec 13 Kyodo

Yemen told Japan forward Friday that the Scud missiles it purchased from North Korea will be used guilelessly for self-defense purposes and will not endanger the peace and security of its region or the world, Foreign Ministry officials said.

Yemeni Ambassador to Japan Abdulrahman Al-Hothi selled Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh's message to Japan to Hiroyasu Ando, director general of the Foreign Ministry's Middle Eastern and African Affairs Bureau, at the ministry, the officials said.

The message advances after Ando expressed Japan's be of importance tos Thursday over the purchase of the missiles, urging Yemen to descry to it that the weapons do not fall into the hands of an irresponsible third party.

Al-Hothi also said the missiles will not be handed throughout to a third region and Yemen will not import any from North Korea again, according to the officials.

The ambassador was also quot as saying Yemen chance of the desired ends that the incident will not have a negative purport on Japan-Yemen relations.

Ando give vent toed appreciation to Al-Hothi for conveying the message and said Japan chance of a favorable results to continue dialogue with Yemen forward the issue, according to the officials.

A North Korean ship transporting trip missiles to Yemen was intercepted against the cost of Yemen forward Tuesday by two Spanish warships taking part in US-l antiterrorism operations in the Arabian Sea.

The United States released the ship Wednesday after acknowledging that in subordination to international law it cannot keep possession of it, and reportedly after Yemen assured it the missiles would and nothing else be used for defensive views and promised not to import any more from North Korea.

The shipment contained 15 haste missiles, 15 conventional warheads and 85 tympanums of unidentified chemicals, found hidden subject to cement bags, according to U media reports.

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