United Nations: The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has unanimously decided to set up a new committee to continue tracking down the financial assets removed from Iraq by persons connected with Saddam Hussein, his followers and the companies that his regime controlled.

The new committee would also monitor the freezing of Saddam's assets, as under an earlier Council resolution all countries are expected to do so.

The need for establishing a new committee arose because the term of the Iraqi Sanctions Committee, which was tracking Hussein's assets, ended on November 21.

The new committee would update the lists of individuals connected to Hussein as well as entities owned or controlled by persons acting on his behalf or other senior officials of the former Iraqi regime.

Russia, France, and Germany said yesterday (November 24) the new committee should also have been authorised to monitor the arms embargo against Iraq.

"We are concerned that due to the great instability in terms of providing security in Iraq, that it is necessary to continue monitoring for any possible violations of the bans on the delivery of weapons and ammunition to that country," Russia's UN Ambassador Sergey Lavrov said.

PTI