UN seeking spy drones for Iraq inspections

The United Nations has asked Germany to supply unmanned spy planes to assist the weapons inspectors in Iraq, the Defence Ministry in Berlin said today.

A decision on whether to supply the LUNA drones and the technicians needed to maintain them will likely be taken in the coming week, a ministry spokesman said on customary condition of anonymity.

The German government has pledged full support for the UN inspectors searching for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. But Berlin has ruled out sending combat troops into any armed conflict there, even if it is covered by a UN mandate.