Iraq denies China air defence link

The Iraqi authorities have dismissed American reports that Chinese workers are helping to install fibre-optic cables to improve Iraq's air defence, in violation of United Nations sanctions.

Pentagon officials said earlier this week that last week's air strikes in the Baghdad area were staged on a Friday partly to avoid casualties among workers, including Chinese workers.

Beijing has said such allegations about Chinese assistance to Iraq in breach of sanctions are an attempt to divert opinion from the air strikes -- which Iraq said killed two people and wounded twenty.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service