Sudanese Minister of Justice Mohammed Ali al-Maradi on Tuesday accused the U.S. administration of attempting to distract attentions by announcing new sanction measures against Sudan.

"U.S. President George W. Bush is looking for scapegoat," the Sudanese minister told reporters, noting that the U.S. president was trying to get out of the stalemate in Iraq.

Describing the U.S. decision of expanding sanctions on Sudan as "tyrannical," the Sudanese minister said that this decision was taken because of domestic problems the Bush administration was facing.

"This decision was unjustified," al-Maradi said, adding that it came at a time when the situation in the western Sudanese region of Darfur was improving.

U.S. President Bush announced on Tuesday that the U.S. Treasury Department would step up efforts to squeeze the Sudanese economy by targeting government-run ventures involved with its booming oil business, which does many of its transactions in U.S. dollars.

According to the decision, three Sudanese individuals, including two high-ranking government officials and a rebel leader, as well as 30 Sudanese companies owned or controlled by the government were blocked from transacting or doing business with the U.S. companies.

Source: Xinhua