Document row unresolved

But the Council president, Ambassador Peter Burleigh of the United States would only say the members expressed full confidence in the inspectors of the UNSCOM.

The Council presidents normally do not go beyond what the Council wants to be conveyed to the media. But sometimes, they do make statement on behalf of their own country, making it clear that it is the viewpoint of their government and not the Council.

Diplomats participating in the discussion say Russia wants a discussion on whether the documents actually exist before agreeing to thestatement. The discussion, they added, will continue.

In its letter to the Security Council, Iraq had said ten of twelve categories of documents demanded by UNSCOM are either unavailable or irrelevant or dealt with matters of national security.

Iraq has been demanding that the Council conduct a comprehensive review of the sanctions imposed in the wake of its attack on Kuwait with a view to lifting or at least easing sanctions taking into account the fact it has already complied with the Council resolution.

It charges the commission, especially its chairman, Richard Butler of Australia, of being unreasonable and of reopening issues already settled with a view to delaying the lifting of sanctions.

It says it has provided all information and the commission is now gone on a 8220;fishing expedition8217;. It alleges that several inspectors are American intelligence agents and interested in things beyond Iraqi disarmament under the Council resolutions.

Butler agrees that Iraq8217;s chemical weapons and long rangemissiles have mostly been accounted for but on biological weapons front, he contends several gaps exist.

Both American and British officials say the inspectors on the ground are doing useful work since their return on November 15 and are working without hindrance. Questions are being raised whether the issue of documents is serious enough to create a crisis.