Iraq has accused France of giving tacit support to the American and British air strikes despite its public condemnations of the bombing campaign.

The official newspaper of the ruling Ba'ath party, Al-Thawra, said Paris knew of the attacks in advance, but did nothing to stop them.

The paper also denounced the French propsals for a new regime of weapons inspection as no less agressive than the air strikes themselves.

Baghdad has repeatedly said it will not allow the United Nations weapons inspection team, UNSCOM, back in the country, and has demanded a total lifting of the sanctions imposed after the Gulf war in 1991.