KUWAIT REJECTS IRANIAN SPY BOAT CHARGES
Kuwait, a target of Iranian anger over the
emirate's backing for Iraq in the Gulf war, today rejected
charges that fishing vessels seized recently by Iran were spy
boats.
    "There are no bases of truth to the contents of the Iranian
accusation on the nature of the operations of the vessels
recently taken into custody by Iran. These vessels were out
fishing," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
    It said Iranian Charge d'Affaires Mohammad Baqeri was
summoned by the Ministry yesterday to confer with Foreign
Undersecretary Suleiman Majed al-Shaheen.
    The Iranian News Agency IRNA said on Sunday Iran had seized
seven Kuwaiti speed boats and detained their crew, who
confessed to spying for Iraq under the cover of fishing.
    It said the boats were intercepted in the Khur Abdullah
waterway which separates Kuwait and Iraq's Faw peninsula at the
head of the Gulf, captured by Iran last year.
    The Kuwaiti response came as Iranian envoys toured Gulf
Arab states saying responsibility for security and stability in
the waterway was a regional matter. A U.S. Senate team was
scheduled today to meet Kuwait's Crown Prince and Prime
Minister Sheikh Saad al-Abdulla al-Sabah and the defence and
oil ministers.
    Today's Foreign Ministry statement, carried by the Kuwait
News Agency KUNA, said the recent detention of Kuwaiti fishing
vessels by Iran was not the first.
    Tehran in the past had held back a number of vessels Kuwait
had sought to release through diplomatic contacts, it said.
    "However, Kuwait is perplexed that this time the Iranian
charges are accompanied by accusations that the vessels were
undertaking espionage activities," it said.
    Shaheen condemned the detentions and accusations, and asked
Tehran to free all fishing boats and sailors held by Iran, the
statement said.
 REUTER
