Ritter accuses Washington and London of playing with UNSCOM to strike Iraq

Former UNSCOM member from the US Scott Ritter has accused the US and Britain of "playing" in the works of the UN inspection committee to "justify " its raids on Iraq.

Ritter resigned his post in UNSCOM last August accusing Washington and the UN of not supportting the UN inspection teams.

In a telephone conversation with the BBC, Ritter said information used by London and Washington to justify a 4-day air strike are outdated adding that such justifications go back "to past months or years." He criticized the US administration and UNSCOM Chief Richard Butler who "shoulder the responsibility."

Ritter in remarks to US papers last week made similar accusations against Butler.

He expressed his conviction that UNSCOM will be prevented from coming back to Iraq.