Iraq violated UN sanctions by importing missile engines

UN weapons inspectors say Iraq has violated sanctions by importing missile engines and raw material for the production of solid missile fuel.

Chief UN weapons inspector Hans Blix has also told the Security Council that Iraq has not made a "serious effort," to respond to his request for the names of Iraqi scientists who were involved in weapons of mass destruction programs.

Mohamed ElBaradei, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said Iraq needed to provide "proactive co-operation," with regards to interviews inspectors want to conduct with the scientists.

"We are not able to have interviews in Iraq in private and that does not show the proactive co-operation we seek," Mr ElBaradei said.

During Mr Blix's briefing to the Security Council in New York, US ambassador John Negroponte called on Iraq to admit to weapons programmes "it maintains, even today."

"Anything less is not co-operation and will constitute further material breach," Negroponte said, using diplomatic language that could pave the way for war.

In Baghdad, General Hossam Mohammed Amin, the chief Iraqi liaison officer to the inspection teams, said that a UN inspector had raised the possibility - without making a formal request - of taking Iraqi scientists to Cyprus for questioning. He said scientists could decide for themselves whether to go but that they were expected to refuse.

Mr Blix said earlier that he hadn't heard of such a request but planned to conduct interviews in the near future.