Several weeks ago, according to Western diplomats, the United Arab Emirates seized and inspected a ship that had stopped at a port in the UAE. What was found aboard the ship was interesting: North Korean weapons, including rocket-propelled grenades, that didn't quite match up with the ship's bill of lading. The ship's apparent destination was interesting, too: Iran.

The diplomats, who spoke on condition of anonymity, are touting the seizure as an example of success for new UN Security Council sanctions that were imposed after Pyongyang's May 25 nuclear test. The sanctions, among other things, prohibit North Korea from shipping conventional armaments.

The UAE's action shows that the sanctions "can have an impact, a serious impact," one diplomat said. This is "a warning to North Korea that they will be subject to these kinds of measures."

North Korea depends heavily on weapons sales for much-needed hard currency. No word on whether North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il, who's begun the latest of his "charm offensives" after throwing a missile-and nuke-filled tantrum earlier this year, protested the ship seizure. Probably not, given what was apparently in the cargo holds.

This is the second known incident involving North Korean ships since the sanctions were imposed. In June, the U.S. Navy shadowed a ship, the Kang Nam 1, that was believed to be headed to Burma. The North warned that stopping and inspecting the ship would be an "act of war." The Kang Nam 1 eventually headed back up the coast off of China toward North Korea.