Washington: United States on April 22 called for lifting of the sanctions by the UN against Iraq and opposed the call by chief UN weapons inspector Hans Blix to send the UN weapons inspectors back to Iraq to see if any weapons of mass destruction existed there.

White House press secretary Ari Fleischer said the sanctions were against Saddam Hussein's Iraq. Now Iraq does not deserve to be under UN sanctions.

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On Blix's desire to send the weapons inspectors back, he said there was no need for that as the coalition forces could dismantle any weapons of mass destruction.

PTI