Washington - The United States reaffirmed its support for a Swedish diplomat, Mr Rolf Ekeus, yesterday as the UN chief arms inspector for Iraq, and accused opponents of his nomination of playing into Baghdad's hands.
Mr Ekeus, who headed the UN Special Commission on Iraqi disarmament (Unscom) from 1991 to 1997, "is superbly suited for the task", the State Department spokesman, Mr James Rubin, told reporters.