Ritter condemns sex arrest 'smears'

Ritter accuses the Bush administration of warmongering

Former UN weapons inspector in Iraq Scott Ritter has condemned US media reports that he was arrested in 2001 in an alleged internet sex sting.

Mr Ritter - an outspoken critic of current US policy towards Iraq - said the publicity had forced him to cancel a planned trip to Baghdad this week.

Nothing that transpired this week, nothing that's been spewed across the airwaves changes the fact that I am one of the foremost experts on the issue of Iraq

Scott Ritter

Although he admitted that he was arrested, he said the fact that the case against him was dismissed and the files sealed obliged him not to discuss the details.

Defending his reputation on US TV shows, he questioned the timing of the leaks - which first appeared at the weekend in a New York state newspaper.

"It's a shame that somebody would bring up this old matter now... this dismissed matter, and seek to silence me at this time.

"The timing does stink," he said.

He had no way of knowing why this happened, "but the effect is obvious," he said.

"I was supposed to fly to Baghdad on a personal initiative that could have had great ramifications in regards issues of war and peace," he told CNN.

'Responsibilities'

He said he did not know who was responsible for the leaks, but insisted that they should answer for them.

"Let's not forget, we're on the verge of a major conflict... and I was a leading voice of opposition to this," he said.

In his television appearances Mr Ritter declined to go into the details of his arrest, saying he had to respect his "legal and ethical responsibilities and not discuss issues pertaining to that case".

Ritter has challenged claims that Iraq is still a major threat

"I have already stood before a judge, I've already been held accountable to the rule of law. The case was dismissed, the file was sealed," he told Wrgb TV.

Mr Ritter joined the UN weapons inspection body Unscom - the precursor of Unmovic - in 1991.

He quit as head of the inspection team in Iraq in August 1998 after a serious confrontation between Baghdad and the UN.

At the time he accused the Security Council and the US of caving in to the Iraqis.

Mr Ritter was renowned for his tough line and intrusive searches, and was not always popular with the Iraqi authorities.

However he later accused Washington of using the UN mission to spy on Iraq. He has since been a vocal critic of US policy.