US revising Iraqi sanctions

The United States Secretary of State, Collin Powell, has said that Washington is now closer to an agreement with France on the issue of sanctions on Iraq.

Paris has long been a persistent critic of continuing the sanctions.

Mr Powell was speaking after talks, in Washington, with his French counterpart, Hubert Vedrine.

The BBC State Department correspondent says the new American administration is hoping to regain support for sanctions against Baghdad, by easing restrictions on commercial trade, while denying the Iraqi regime the money to finance weapons programmes.

American officials say there are still many details to be ironed out, but have expressed hope that plans for revised sanctions on Iraq will be completed in time for the next United Nations' review of the Iraqi oil-for-food programme in June.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service