Iraq to Cut Wheat Imports from Australia by 50 Percent

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, July 23, 2002

Iraq to Cut Wheat Imports from Australia by 50 Percent

Iraq will reduce its imports of wheat from Australia by 50 percent in a bid to punish it for supporting US threats against Iraq, Iraqi Trade Minister Mohammad Mehdi Salah announced on Monday.

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Iraq will reduce its imports of wheat from Australia by 50 percent in a bid to punish it for supporting US threats against Iraq, Iraqi Trade Minister Mohammad Mehdi Salah announced on Monday.

The decision was made in light of the "hostile attitude" of the Australian government in its support "for the threats of the evil US administration against Iraq," Mohammad said in a statement, quoted by the official Iraqi News Agency (INA).

In case Australia continues this attitude, Iraq would take harsher measures to punish it, possibly putting the Oceanian nationin a black list and severing trade relations with it, the minister said.

Iraq has contracted to buy 1 million tons of wheat from Australia within the 12th stage of the humanitarian oil-for-food program under the UN supervision, the INA said.

US President George W. Bush, who branded Iraq as part of an "axis of evil," has vowed to topple Iraqi President Saddam Hussein by using all the possible tools he has.

Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer earlier this month voiced strong support for US military strikes against Iraq, saying it was a policy not to allow President Saddam to continue to develop weapons of mass destruction.

Iraq has remained adamant in the face of US threats.

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