The decision to continue sanctions was taken without vote and would be reviewed only after another 60 days. Iraq immediately disputed the results of the tests and threatened with unspecified actions against weapons inspectors, setting the stage for another serious crisis.

Demanding immediate lifting of sanctions, Iraq said if the embargo was not lifted because of ``hostility and some evil parties,'' there would be no alternative but to get rid of the unfair embargo. It was not clear what actions Iraq would resort to. Last time when it barred the arms inspectors, the United States had threatened to bomb targets in Iraq despite stiff opposition from other Council members. The crisis wasultimately defused by intervention of United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan.

Under pressure from several Council members, Butler agreed to send fragments of destroyed warheads to laboratories in France and Switzerland for further tests to clear doubts on validity of the tests done by the United States.