Visiting Iraqi Foreign Minister Mohamed Said Al Sahaf reaffirmed in Madrid on February 17 that Iraq rejects the return of United Nations' inspectors to check its disarming.

The minister said that the UN Security Council resolution is just one more attempt of the United States and Britain to maintain for an undefined period the sanctions against Baghdad.

"Washington and London must accept that there should not be more sanctions, that their policies only continue the tragedy" of the 22 million Iraqi people, said the minister.

Referring to the new team leader of UN inspectors created by resolution 1284 of the Security Council-Hans Blix, The Iraqi minister said that he has nothing to say against that person, "but that the resolution is wrong by itself."

The minister said that Iraq has a right to import food, medicines and other products within the program "oil for food" agreed on with the United Nations in 1996.