(2017-0767-F) Yin He Incident

26 folders, approximately 1,403 pages

This collection consists of records related to the 1993 Yin He Incident with the Peoples Republic of China (PRC). It includes cables, email, press briefings, guidance and releases, transmittal memos, and routing sheets. Some subjects include the Chemical Weapons Convention, diplomacy, international shipping, Iran, Peoples Republic of China, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

The materials in FOIA 2017-0767-F are a selective body of documents responsive to the topic of the FOIA. Researchers should consult the archivist about related material. The requester asked for material related to the 1993 Yin He Incident with the Peoples Republic of China (PRC). The Yin He was a PRC-flagged container ship which routinely stopped at various ports in the Persian Gulf. In August1993, the United States claimed that the ship was transporting “precursor chemicals” which could be used to create chemical weapons in its cargo bound for Iran. The US Navy was dispatched to keep the Yin He in international waters in the Gulf of Oman. The PRC meanwhile performed their own internal investigation and insisted that the ship wasn’t carrying said chemicals. After a lengthy standoff of 24 days the ship was ultimately searched by a team from Saudi Arabia and the PRC. No trace of the suspect material was found. Records responsive to this request include cables, email, press briefings, guidance and releases, transmittal memos, and routing sheets. Subjects include the Chemical Weapons Convention, diplomacy, international shipping, Iran, Peoples Republic of China, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates. The majority of records related to this FOIA case are closed for national security reasons.

Textual

Records that are responsive to this FOIA request were found in Clinton Presidential Records: White House Staff and Office Files and Clinton Presidential Records: NSC Cable, Email, and Records Management Systems. Staff and Office files were maintained at the folder level by staff members within their individual offices and document all levels of administration activity.

Collection is open to all researchers. Access to Clinton Presidential Records is governed by the Presidential Records Act (PRA) (44 U.S.C. Chapter 22, as amended) and the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) (5 U.S.C. 552, as amended) and therefore records may be restricted in whole or in part in accordance with legal exemptions.

Official records of William Jefferson Clinton’s presidency are housed at the Clinton Presidential Library and administered by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) under the provisions of the Presidential Records Act (PRA).

Staff Archivist, 2019. Previously restricted materials are added as they are released.

The following is a list of documents and folders processed in response to FOIA 2017-0767-F:
Box 1
Clinton Presidential Records: White House Staff and Office Files
National Security Council
Intelligence Programs
Tenet, George/Beers, Rand
Yin He [OA ID 2484]
Nonproliferation and Export Controls
Harris, Elisa
Yin He Post Mortem [1] [OA/ID 2556] (see 2016-0158-F S2)
Yin He Post Mortem [2] [OA/ID 2556] (see 2016-0158-F S2)
Samore, Gary
Yin He [China] [1] [OA/ID 2839]
Yin He [China] [2] [OA/ID 2839]
Yin He [China] [3] [OA/ID 2839]
Clinton Presidential Records: NSC Cable, Email, and Records Management System
NSC Cables
Jan 1993-Dec 1994 [OA/ID 505000]
[Yin He …]
[07/23/1993 – 08/12/1993]
[08/13/1993 – 08/21/1993]
[08/21/1993 – 08/26/1993]
[08/27/1993 – 09/01/1993]
[09/01/1993 – 09/07/1993]
[09/07/1993 – 09/13/1993]
Box 2
[09/14/1993 – 09/29/1993]
[09/29/1993 – 10/13/1993]
[10/16/1993 – 03/11/1994]
[03/14/1994 – 12/23/1994]
Jan 1995-Dec 1996 [OA/ID 510000]
[Yin He …]
[02/06/1995 – 07/19/1996]
Jan 1997-Dec 1998 [OA/ID 520000]
[Yin He …]
[12/10/1997 – 12/17/1998]
Clinton Presidential Records: NSC Cable, Email, and Records Management System (continued)
NSC Cables
Jan 1999-Dec 2000 [OA/ID 530000]
[Yin He …]
[04/05/2000 – 07/07/2000]
NSC Emails
A1-Record (Jan 93-Sep 94) [OA/ID 570000]
[Yin He …]
[08/06/1993 – 09/03/1993]
[09/03/1993 – 07/25/1994]
A1-Non-Record (Apr 94-Sept 94) [OA/ID 580000]
[Yin He …]
[05/25/1994]
MSMail-Record (Sept 94-Sept 97) [OA/ID 590000]
[Yin He …]
[01/03/1995 – 07/26/1996]
Exchange-Record (Sept 97-Jan 01) [OA/ID 620000]
[Yin He …]
[06/15/2000]
Exchange-Non-Record (Mar 97-Jan 01) [OA/ID 630000]
[Yin He …]
[06/16/2000 – 07/05/2000]
NSC Records Management System
[Yin He …]
9307541 [OA/ID 164]