Iraq slams Kuwait for attempting to confiscate Iraqi Airways plane landing in London

[sabra]

Source: AP

BAGHDAD (AP) - Lawyers working for Kuwait attempted to confiscate the first Iraqi Airways plane to land in London in 20 years over a dispute dating back to Saddam Hussein's 1990 invasion of the oil-rich Gulf state, the Iraqi Ministry of Transportation said Thursday.

Kuwait is demanding reparations of $1.2 billion from Iraqi Airways for the alleged theft of 10 airplanes and millions of dollars worth of spare parts during the invasion and seven-month occupation.

Iraq says it has repeatedly called for talks over the case and to solve it in a "friendly way," but the Kuwaitis have not responded.

According to the statement, the lawyers attempted to confiscate the airplane that made the flight, but were not able to when it turned out to be chartered from a Swedish company and not owned by Iraqi Airways.

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