Iraq complains of violations against Iraqi civilian ships

The Iraqi foreign minister Naji Sabri on Thursday called on the UN to stop the attacks carried out by American and Australian forces against Iraqi civilian ships inside and outside Iraq's territorial waters.

In a message he sent to the UN secretary general Kofi Annan, Sabri stressed that the existence of the Australian fleet and its support for the US fleet in the continued harassment against the Iraqi ships in the Gulf is an aggressive act which threaten navigation and violates the items and charter of the UN and UN laws pertinent to safe navigation.

A multinational force led by the American navy is stationed in the Gulf to prevent the smuggling of banned goods from and into Iraq, according to the UN sanctions resolution.