United Nations, Jan 9: Controversial UN chief arms inspector Richard Butler has sought an explanation from the US about reports that Washington used his inspectors for its own spying purposes in an apparent bid to clear his name.Butler, who angrily brushed off rumours last week that he passed on classified Iraqi information to the US, held talks with US Ambassador to the UN Peter Burleigh yesterday over allegations that Washington used the UNSCOM to spy on Iraq.``I have consulted today, and last night, with senior US officials with respect to assistance provided by the US to the UNSCOM,'' Butler said in a statement shortly after the meeting.``I call attention to the statement made by the state department spokesman on seven January, namely that US support was specifically tailored to facilitate the UNSCOM, the UN inspectors' mission and for no other purpose and was done at the direct request of the commission,'' he said.``This accords with the facts known to me,'' he said leaving the door wide open tospeculation that the US might have used its expertise in some fields to spy on Iraq without his knowledge.A Butler aide said the statement was so worded ``because its up to the Americans to speak for themselves'' on the issue of whether Washington piggy-backed on the UN operations for spying purposes. US officials did not comment on the talks between Burleigh and Butler.
