Aengus Ó Snodaigh
Question:140 Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his attention has been drawn to reports that the US Navy has detained all ships in the Persian Gulf going to Iraq under the UN oil for food programme; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that since 27 March 2003 all these ships are being unloaded in Kuwait; if his attention has been further drawn to the fact that unloaded food is being delivered by the US military to Iraq and is being distributed as American humanitarian aid and as a part of the American rebuilding Iraq program; if his attention has further been drawn to the fact that the US has explained its actions by its unilateral decision to freeze all Iraqi financial assets, including the Iraqi financial assets with the UN; if his attention has been further drawn to the fact that the US now considers these assets its property with the right to full control over them; if his attention has been further drawn to the fact that captains of the detained ships have called these actions by the US a piracy; if he has raised or will raise this issue with the American authorities; if he has lodged or will lodge an official complaint at the UN; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9190/03]
