US says no end to sanctions on Iraq without fukll weapons inspections.to block UN weapons inspections

The United States ambassador to the United Nations, Bill Richardson, has said there is no chance of the UN lifting its sanctions against Iraq unless its inspectors are allowed access to all weapons sites.

He was responding to a threat by President Saddam Hussein to end cooperation with the inspection teams unless sanctions were lifted.

Mr Richardson said the Iraqi leader was dreaming if he believed sanctions could end before Iraq had complied with all UN resolutions imposed after the Gulf War.

These include allowing the UN to assess Baghdad's capacity to use weapons of mass destruction.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service