UNITED NATIONS, Nov 11: The United States and Britain huddled with France, Russia and China here today to try to agree on new Iraqi sanctions as Baghdad stiffened its resolve to block UN weapons inspections.

Washington, backed by London, pressed for a travel ban on Iraqi officials who block UN weapons inspections coupled with other punitive measures in a resolution that could be presented to the UN Security Council later in the day. But the two governments watered down a previous draft resolution by dropping references to unspecified ``serious consequences'' against Iraq if it continues to block the inspections.

The move appeared to address concerns from France and Russia that the UN resolution might be used by Washington to justify a military strike against Iraq.

France and Russia have opposed the use of force to press Iraq into allowing weapons inspections.

In Washington, US Defense Secretary William Cohen said additional aircraft carriers and warships could be quickly deployed in the Gulf but Pentagon officials noted that no deployment orders had been signed.

In Baghdad meanwhile, officials once again turned away UN weapons inspectors because the team included Americans that Iraq has barred from taking part in the verifications.

It was the eighth time in nine days that Baghdad has refused to let American members of the UN weapons monitoring teams conduct inspections. The United Nations did not attempt to send inspectors yesterday.

``We don't mind you doing your inspection, but without Americans,'' an Iraqi official standing outside the site in Baghdad told the UN inspectors. ``We will cooperate with you.''

The inspectors refused to proceed without Americans and returned to their headquarters in Baghdad. There was no information on whether the site was linked to Iraq's banned chemical, biological or long-range missile programs.

Iraq has accused American inspectors of espionage and has threatened to shoot down a US surveillance plane used by the United Nations. The u-2 spy plane flew over Iraq on Monday for three hours, but Baghdad officials said it was out of the range of their guns.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.