CANBERRA, Sept. 14 (Xinhuanet) -- A four-nation maritime exercise to intercept ships suspected of carrying weapons of mass destruction has been carried out off northeast Australian coast, according to Australian Defense Minister Robert Hill.

　　The exercise, which was conducted over the weekend, "has been agreat success in sending a message to those who may be interested in the transfer of weapons of mass destruction," Hill said in a transcript of a press conference released Sunday.

　　The exercise, codenamed "Pacific Protector," involved navies ofthe United States, Australia, Japan and France.

　　"I don't necessarily want to distinguish any countries but it sends a message to those who may contemplate the transfer of WMDs,or their precursors, but there is a committed global movement thatis going to make every effort to stop them," he told reporters on board Australian frigate HMAS Melbourne.

　　The game is the first in a series of 10 air, ground and sea exercises planned by an 11-member group led by the United States with the aim to stop the trafficking of weapons of mass destruction.

　　Besides the four participants of the weekend's exercises, other members of the group are Germany, the Netherlands, Britain, Italy, Poland, Portugal and Spain. Enditem