Iraq blasts US-Australian piracy at Gulf
Baghdad, July 28, INA
Iraqi Foreign Minister Dr. Naji Sabri confirmed that the piracy and the acts of aggression perpetrated by US Navy forces
in cooperation with Australian Navy against the ships that transfer civilian goods inside and outside Iraqi territorial
waters in Arab Gulf contradict norms of the UN Charter and international laws related to sea navigation.
In a letter addressed to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, Dr. Sabri said, " I would like to inform you of the continuing
aggression perpetrated by the US forces against the ships that transfer civilian goods inside and outside Iraqi
territorial waters. The US Navy patrols in cooperation with some Austrian navy forces intercepted these ships and
attacked their crews.”
The letter referred that “some times these forces are investigating those crews and detaining them for a long period.”
It added that “two Australian military ships carrying 20-armed soldiers attacked Iraqi ship “al-Fida'” through its
sailing from Um-Qasr port to Iraqi Ma'qal Port. The soldiers detained its crews, completely inspected it, broken stores'
locks and changed ship's movement to 6 miles towards a US frigate.”
ENDS