BAGHDAD, Dec 10: Iraq on Tuesday blasted UN weapons inspectors for carrying out an inspection in a children's playground in Baghdad.

``A team made up of five groups of experts conducted a surprise inspection in a children's playground, despite a sign saying what it was,'' said General Hussam Mohammad Amin, the director of Iraq's National Surveillance Organisation, the counterpart to the UN Special Commission (UNSCOM) on disarming Iraq.

The inspection ``stunned the children and their supervisors,'' said Amin, accusing UNSCOM of being ``influenced by the allegations of US intelligence agents hostile to Iraq who claim the existence of weapons and prohibited products.''

Amin said 11 groups of experts conducted surprise visits at 34 sites, of which 28 were not subject to the UN surveillance, including professional training centres and a printing workshop belonging to a union.

Iraq's accusations come shortly before a visit by UNSCOM chairman Richard Butler who is due to arrive on Friday for talks with Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tareq Aziz.

It is the Australian diplomat's first visit since Iraq triggered a crisis on October 29 by threatening to expel US inspectors working for the Special Commission. UNSCOM has carried out daily inspections without incident since November 22, after Iraq dropped the ban on US inspectors which led to a three-week break in the commission's work.

But they have not tried to inspect sites which Iraq says are sensitive for its national sovereignty.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.