United Nations: Syria on December 19 boycotted the discussions on Iraq declaration in the Security Council protesting that it was handed over an abridged version of the dossier.

The UN Security Council, which met on December 19, was given preliminary assessment by the weapons inspectors on the Iraqi declaration and the status of its weapons of mass destruction.

Syria had on December 18 itself returned the abridged document claiming that only the five permanent members of the Security Council were given the complete version of the Iraqi declaration, while all the 10 non-permanent members, including Syria, were given edited version.

Pointing out that Syria being a neighbour of Iraq anything happening there would affect it, Syrian UN Ambassador Mihaill Wehbe, who was instructed by his country to boycott the discussions, told reporters it could not participate in the discussion as it has not read the entire document.

The Council had come to the understanding that all members would get the same document after inspectors had edited out the sensitive parts. But later the United States and the four permanent members got the entire text of the declaration while the non-permanent members got the edited version only.

Sections giving details of the fabrication of biological, chemical and nuclear weapons and the names of foreign companies that helped Iraq were taken out, and diplomats said the expurgated version was only 4,000 pages long.

PTI