South Korea on alert for possible Al Qaeda ship

Khaleej Times via Al Jazeera ^ | Oct. 30, 2003 | Agence France Presse

[FairOpinion]

SEOUL - South Korean security authorities were ready to carry out on-board inspections of a Bahama-registered freighter after being tipped off that the ship might carry some members of Al-Qaeda, police said on Thursday.

The 17,000-tonne freighter, the Athenia, which was suspected of carrying members of Osama bin Laden’s Al Qaeda group, was due to arrive at the southwestern port of Kunsan late Thursday, the police said.

“We have been informed that Al Qaeda members might be hiding in the ship,” a police officer in charge of foreign affairs in Kunsan Police station told AFP.

“When the ship reaches the port, maritime police agents and immigration authorities will get aboard the ship and carry out sweeping inspections,” he said.

The Bahama-registered freighter, carrying logs, was sailing from New Zealand, the Moonhwa Daily reported Seoul said.

South Korea hosts some 37,000 US troops and there are many US military facilities in Kunsan including an airbase.

The alert came as Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is expected to visit South Korea next month.

[FairOpinion]

Update:

S Korea finds no al Qaeda evidence on cargo ship
31 October 2003

KUNSAN: South Korea said on Friday it had found nothing unusual on a Greek-owned ship after an investigation sparked by a tip-off it could be carrying members of Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda group.

"Joint investigation agencies have searched the ship for weapons or forged passports but have not found anything unusual," an official at Kunsan port told Reuters by telephone.

"There will be no more big investigation like yesterday's but we will keep watching the ship until they leave the country," said the port authority official, who declined to be identified.

Meanwhile New Zealand customs today said it would not reveal why the ship that visited New Zealand was subjected to top-level-security checks saying the information is "sensitive".

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,2711582a12,00.html

If the ship really was given a clean bill of health, why do they still have to keep watching it, until it leaves?