Weapons monitoring agencies shut down

United Nations: The Security Council voted yesterday to immediately close down the UN inspection bodies that played a pivotal role in monitoring Iraq's weapons of mass destruction programmes under Saddam Hussain's regime.

The resolution terminating the mandate of the UN bodies responsible for overseeing the dismantling of Saddam's programmes to develop nuclear, chemical and biological weapons and long-range missiles was approved by a vote of 14-0. Russia abstained, saying there was still 'no clear answer to the existence of weapons of mass destruction' in Iraq.

Since 2005, the United States has been trying to get the Security Council to wrap up the work of the inspectors, who were pulled out of Iraq just before the 2003 US-led invasion and were barred by the US from returning.

Iraq's new leaders also have been lobbying for the council to stop using the country's oil revenue to pay the salaries of the inspectors - and to have all money remaining in the UN's oil-for-food account transferred to the government in Baghdad.

The resolution authorises Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to transfer all remaining unallocated funds - about $60 million (Dh220.2 million) - in the oil-for-food account to Iraq's Development Fund.