January 23, 2003	Thursday	Ziqa’ad 19, 1423

BAGHDAD, Jan 22: The owner of a farm where UN inspectors this week destroyed a wall they suspected of hiding a biological laboratory said on Wednesday he had filed suit for compensation.

“I filed a suit through the Iraqi ministry of foreign affairs, asking for compensation, both material, moral and psychological,” Sabah Anwar Mohammad told reporters at the information ministry press centre.

“I am also asking for an apology for my national government and to me personally,” said Mohammad, who showed journalists a copy of the lawsuit.

Mohamad said the inspectors “took samples from tree leaves, from citrus trees and oranges to analyse them to see if they contained some biological, chemical or whatever materials.

“The funny thing is that one of the workers in the farm picked some oranges and I offered them to all of the people there, and we ate some of them too, so they came and ate oranges with us. This proves the fallacy of all this,” he said.

“They did not ask me to go with them anywhere (for an interview). I am not a scientist or anything like that, I am a normal private citizen,” he said.—AFP