The official newspaper, Ath-Thawra, in a commentary on Friday, accused the United States of using the language of menace.

It said that Iraq was merely claiming its legitimate rights, and was encouraging efforts to resolve the conflict.

The statement was the first Iraqi response to the decision by the Security Council to adopt a new resolution condemning Baghdad's decision to stop co-operating with UN weapons inspectors.

The resolution stopped short of threatening military action but did not set a timetable for lifting sanctions - a condition Iraq has demanded for any reversal of its decision to cut all dealings with the inspectors.

Nuclear monitors' activities have been curtailed

The council condemned Iraq's decision to halt co-operation as a "flagrant violation" of UN resolutions.

The inspectors are trying to establish whether Baghdad has a stockpile of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons.

The council is united in its call for an immediate U-turn from Iraq, but it remains divided on what to do if Baghdad refuses. It made no explicit threats to use force if Baghdad did not comply.

The United States and Britain say they are already authorised to take military action from previous resolutions, but that has been rejected by other council members.

Acting US ambassador Peter Burleigh said President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Madeleine Albright had emphasised that ''all options are on the table and the US has the authority to act".

But Russian ambassador Sergey Lavrov warned that any attempt to use force would have "highly unpredictable and dangerous consequences" for regional peace and future UN efforts to monitor Iraq's weapons programmes.