Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov dismissed on Wednesday the "propaganda furore" surrounding Britain's dossier on Iraq, saying the return of weapons inspectors to Baghdad was the main priority.
Ivanov told reporters: "I believe that only specialists and experts can judge whether or not Iraq has weapons of mass destruction. We have therefore sought the fastest possible return to Iraq of inspectors. "It therefore seems to us that it is not worth creating a great propaganda furore around this report. We should wait for the conclusions of the experts. Only after that can any conclusions be drawn," he said.
France also said it was not yet convinced. "We have accepted the British evaluations and are comparing them with our own," a Foreign Ministry spokesman said in Paris, adding that President Jacques Chirac had seen signs but not firm proof that would support Blair's accusations.
Baghdad dismissed as "lies" the British dossier which accused it of harboring chemical and biological weapons while seeking to acquire a nuclear capability. "This dossier is full of false propaganda which lacks material and convincing evidence," said a statement issued at an Iraqi cabinet meeting presided over by President Saddam Hussein. (Albawaba.com)
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