The BBC's Rob Watson: A pattern of obstruction by Iraq would result in strikes

At a meeting in New York, the council failed to find any solution to the crisis - sparked by demands from UN inspectors for documents said to be related to Iraq's chemical and biological warfare programme.

A terse statement released after the three hour talks merely said: "Council members expressed their continued full support for [the disarmament commission] Unscom in fulfillment of its mandate."

Our UN Correspondent, Rob Watson, says the big powers are dividing along now familiar lines - the US and Britain firmly siding with the weapons inspectors; Russia, France and China more sympathetic to the protests from Baghdad.

The BBC's Paul Royall: UN powers split along familiar lines

After the row earlier this month over Iraq's suspension of co-operation with inspections, both the US and UK warned Baghdad it would be subject to attack without warning in any further disputes.

However, Rob Watson at the UN says the row over documents in itself is unlikely to provoke military action, although the US and Britain are using it as evidence of Iraqi bad faith.

Oil-for-food

At an earlier meeting, the Security Council renewed Iraq's oil-for-food programme for six months and allowed Baghdad to buy another $300m of spare parts for its oil facilities.

The scheme was introduced in 1996 to enable Iraq to overcome some of the effects of economic sanctions imposed after its invasion of Kuwait in 1990.

Under the deal, Iraq is allowed to sell oil to buy badly needed humanitarian aid.

Infant mortality has soared under sanctions

As the council met, a mock funeral was held in Baghdad to call attention to the plight of children dying from malnutrition and lack of medicine.

A convoy of cars carrying child-sized wooden coffins snaked through the city and a demonstration was held outside the UN office.

Estimates of the effects of sanctions vary, but even UN agencies say around one-third of Iraq's children are malnourished.

But our correspondent Richard Downes says it is clear that US and Britain have no intention of ending the economic embargo at present.

They do not believe Baghdad has done enough to satisfy the inspectors in charge of dismantling the county's weapons of mass destruction, and long-range missiles.

Iraq: US wants to break us

The latest row erupted a few days after Iraq, under threat of US military action, rescinded its decision to halt all co-operation with the Unscom teams.

Mr Butler, who is demanding the documents, says Unscom's data on Iraq's biological weapons is a ''black hole''.

But Iraq says the disputed papers either do not exist, or are irrelevant.

Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz has sent an 18-page letter to the UN detailing Iraq's reasons for not handing over the documents.

But US State Department spokesman James Rubin said the letter showed Baghdad was trying to avoid its commitments.

"The familiar tactic is used of shifting the blame and changing the subject," Mr Rubin added.

In Baghdad, Mr Aziz said the US and its allies wanted to humiliate and break his country through military attacks and sanctions.

Iraqi newspapers also called the US and Britain "uncivilised and immoral" in seeking to rally Iraqi exiles to oust President Saddam Hussein.

Meanwhile, Baghdad has announced its UN ambassador Nizar Hamdoon is to be succeeded by his deputy Dr Saeed Hasan.