Iraq rejects new UN weapons team

Iraq says it will not accept a new United Nations inspection team charged with verifying the dismantling of its weapons of mass destruction.

The Deputy Prime Minister, Tariq Aziz, told reporters and members of parliament that as Iraq does not recognise the UN resolution establishing the team, neither will it recognise any person involved in it.

A new arms inspection body under Hans Blix was set up under a Security Council resolution agreed last December, after the previous inspection team headed by Richard Butler was withdrawn.

The resolution spoke of easing long-standing trade sanctions against Iraq, if it allowed arms inspectors to return to Baghdad.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service