The criticism came on Saturday as confusion surrounded an incident in the south of the country, in which Baghdad said one of its military posts had come under air attack.

While Russia and China strongly opposed the four-day offensive this month by the US and the UK, France was less vocal in its criticism.

But the three countries - seen as Baghdad's traditional friends on the United Nations Security Council - were individually condemned in Iraq's Babel newspaper.

Ramadan continues in Baghdad

Babel - controlled by Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein's son Uday - attacked China for responding to the Gulf crisis by simply handing out statements from its foreign ministry.

It said the French position was so hesitant and unclear that Iraqis could not decide where France stood.

And Russia was accused of extracting concessions from Iraq in the past without giving anything in return.

The BBC's Defence Correspondent, Jonathan Marcus, says that as all three countries seem ready to consider ending sanctions against Iraq, the tone of the article is interesting.

But Baghdad seems to have few expectations that Russia, China or France will be able to alter the policy of bilateral military containment supported by the US and the UK.

The correspondent suggests that the article probably mirrors frustration in Moscow about Russia's lack of influence on the Security Council.

Babel also insists that UN economic sanctions must end.

'Bombs ditched'

Reports of a fresh attack on Iraq came in the official news agency in Baghdad.

The agency said that at 1115 am (0815 GMT) a formation of "enemy" warplanes "attacked one of our air defense sites, which confronted it and forced it to drop its load randomly."

The agency did not identify the nationality of the aircraft, but correspondents say it usually uses the word "enemy" for the United States and Britain.

The report did not say where the apparent attack took place and gave no other details.

British and US planes based in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia patrol a "no-fly zone" across southern Iraq imposed in 1992 under the banner Operation Southern Watch to protect Shi'a Muslims from government attacks.

A Pentagon spokesman in Washington confirmed that there had been what he called "an incident" over Iraq, but said that it involved British rather than US planes.

However, the UK Ministry of Defence said it was not aware of any incident.