Brussels: Belgium has backed down on a threat to refuse transit to US forces if war goes ahead against Iraq without UN authorisation, averting a major new row.

Belgian Foreign Minister Louis Michel and Defence Minister Andre Flahaut had on March 16 raised the prospect of US troops and military equipment being denied transit through Belgium.

For several weeks, troops and equipment from US bases in Europe - mainly in Germany - have been going through the Belgian port of Antwerp, one of the busiest in the world.

Agencies