United Nations: In an effort to counter possible US resolution finding Iraq in further material breach of UN Security Council decisions, France has proposed doubling or tripling the number of arms inspectors, strengthening aerial surveillance and creating a new intelligence unit to co-ordinate information on Baghdad.

The new American resolution would in effect spell military action against Iraq which France, together with Russia and China, opposes.

An informal paper circulated by France also suggests that weapons inspectors draw up a complete list of unresolved disarmament tasks and prioritise them.

It proposes UN security units to ensure that suspect sites remain frozen and also suggests setting up of mobile custom teams.

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The French proposal came as the diplomatic activity intensified at the UN and US President George W Bush's National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice flew in to New York for a quick meeting with chief weapons inspector Hans Blix who is to present the report on Iraqi compliance on February 14.

Apparently, Rice wanted to get a sense of what Blix proposes to say in the report to enable the US to draw up quick response, and might also have given him some more information.

The French proposal is not yet in form a resolution and it is not clear whether it would move a counter resolution based on these elements should the United States move one after Blix presents the report.

PTI