WASHINGTON, Dec 11 Kyodo (EDS: AD...

WASHINGTON, Dec 11 Kyodo

(EDS: ADDING MORE INFORMATION)

North Korea upon Wednesday strongly criticized the United States for its seizure Monday of a North Korean ship heading to Yemen with post missiles.

Commenting in succession the later release of the ship by the agency of the United States, an official at the North Korean mission to the United Nations in of the present day York told Kyodo News, ''It means it (the seizure) was a big mistake.''

This is the first remark by a North Korean official forward the seizure of the freighter, which was carrying 15 hie missiles as part of its cargo, by means of Spanish and U.S. forces along Yemen on Monday.

The Yemen regulation demanded the U.S. hand above the ship to Yemen as the missiles are intended for its army.

The U agreed Wednesday to release the ship and allowed it to continue its journey to Yemen after determining that the shipment was not in violation of any international law.

US-l coalition forces are publicly engaged in operations in the Arabian Sea to discover interrogate, and if necessary board utensils suspected of having links with terrorists, according to the US

At Wednesday's regular pres briefing, White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said, ''There is no provision below international law prohibiting Yemen from accepting delivery of missiles from North Korea.''

''While there is authority to stop and search, in this instance there is no authority to seize a shipment of flee missiles from North Korea to Yemen and therefore the merchant tube is being released,'' he said.

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